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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24480733">Hooked</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BenjaminDover96/pseuds/BenjaminDover96'>BenjaminDover96</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Descendants (Disney Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adult Language, Angst, Anxiety, Auradon, Barry - Freeform, Ben is very stressed, Benry, Bisexual, Charming - Freeform, Cheating, Did I mention angst, Disney, Eventual Smut, Flirting, Fluff and Angst, Gay, Gay Panic, Heavy Drinking, Homosexual, Hook - Freeform, Hooked, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Jealousy, Lies, M/M, Magic, Movie: Descendants (2015), Mutual Pining, Overthinking, Panic Attacks, Pining, Pirates, Post-Descendants 3, Recreational Drug Use, Relationship Problems, Romance, Sexual Tension, Ship, Slow Burn, Smut, So many lies, Stealing, Trust Issues, bicurious, gratuitous use of eyeliner, in the closet, overbearing father, pirate, spells</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:20:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>154,954</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24480733</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BenjaminDover96/pseuds/BenjaminDover96</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mirror Mirror on the wall<br/>What's the finest ship of all?</p><p>It's been two years since the barrier went down. The people of the Isle are free. Auradon will soon have the King and Queen they deserve and everything is picture perfect. </p><p>Now the only conflict left to address is the one inside Ben's heart.</p><p>* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * </p><p>The world of a King is overflown with expectations and Ben has spent his entire life working to live up to them. But ever since a run-in with a certain pirate at the Isle, fulfilling those expectations has started to feel next to impossible. Now he must find answers to what feels like another spell on his heart. Well... He could never have predicted how much of his life would turn around by sneaking off to confront the darkly enchanting pirate.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben/Harry Hook, Harry Hook/Jay</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>185</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>250</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. It Starts with a Hook</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>King Benjamin.</p><p>The first of his name. Not King Benjamin the second or the third. But King Benjamin. <em>The</em> King Benjamin.</p><p>You could place the word King in front of the most basic name and it would somehow transform into a sound mightier than the most unique of alias'. Basic names, in Ben's opinion, made a King sound nobler. You could throw all kinds of syllables together and be as complex as you'd like, but it's the common names that hold weight. King Henry. King Charles. King Arthur. Those were all names of Kings to be remembered. His Father's name was Adam. King Adam. See how it transforms? These names are clear and confident. You heard the King's name and you knew what to expect.</p><p>King Benjamin.</p><p>He liked how it sounded.</p><p>He liked it; however it was in the same way a child liked their made-up superhero name. Running around the backyard with a blanket tied to their back to mimic a cape. In a fantasy world, the child truly was a superhero, but in reality they understood that they couldn't possibly live up to the title.</p><p>Ben truly was a King. He was the King of Auradon and he had been for four years since his coronation at 16 years old. You would think after four years of holding the title everything would make sense and you would be sure of your position, but like the child and his superhero name, Ben felt like he was pretending. It's not that he was scared of the position. Ruling was in his blood and he very much wanted to rule. It wasn't having all the power and responsibilities of the world on his shoulders that made him insecure... it was what he <em>couldn't</em> have that left him feeling like the title of King wasn't truly right for him.</p><p>And what was it that he couldn't have?</p><p>Did Ben even know?</p><p>It was an answer to a question he didn't know how to ask. He didn't even know the question existed.</p><p>He knew something was missing.</p><p>Ben turned over, his soft defeated eyes falling to the form beside him. The morning sunlight that peaked from the window formed a spotlight on the girl laying beside him. Her purple hair was vibrant and beautiful and so close to his nose he was worried the tickling sensation would make him sneeze and wake half the castle. He brushed her hair out of his face with his finger.</p><p>Queen Mal.</p><p>King Benjamin.</p><p>'My soon-to-be Queen. I love you.' Ben thought, his fingers dancing through her purple hair. The words in his head were monotonous. He had repeated them a thousand times now in a hundred different ways, he may need to learn a different language if he wanted to feel something different when he said them. Ben didn't like the fact that every time he looked at Mal, the words "I love her" played in his head like an alarm reminding him to do a chore. He did love her.</p><p>The girl from the Isle that he chose to bring to Auradon only two years prior, now lay beside him in his bed. Who would have thought Ben's heart would elect the daughter of the infamous Maleficent as the future Queen of Auradon? Love is such a strange matter. It's a blind demon that has lived beside you your whole life, waiting silently and stalking. Then out of nowhere, it jumps out at you and before you know it, you're falling for what was supposed to be your star-crossed enemy from the Isle. A natural- born villain.</p><p>He had fallen so quickly.</p><p>Was it the spell?</p><p>When they had first met, Mal had casted a spell on him to control his heart into falling for her. Any good love story would start with such manipulation, wouldn't it? Ben certainly had convinced himself of that over the last four years.</p><p>Since then, however, Ben's heart grew more distant every passing day. He loved Mal. There was no doubt he had a connection to Mal, but that didn't stop the fact that his mind would wonder, and he would begin questioning his own feelings. Had the spell truly worn off the day he jumped in the Enchanted Lake? Or did the Lake only trigger the cure and it was only wearing off slowly by the day. Four years later, and the spell was almost gone?</p><p>If that were the case, Ben wished Mal would just cast the spell again and take him away from the misery of doubting his own heart. Mal's kiss had broken the spell Uma casted on him. Another love spell by the villainous daughter of Ursula. And Mal had broken it. True love's kiss could break any spell, but was it true love from the most sincerest point of Ben's heart? Or was it true love from the previous spell? Had Ben ever learned to truly love? Was it all a trick?</p><p>Ben rolled onto his back, turning away from Mal's sleeping body. His eyes lingered on the ceiling while the depressing thoughts floated in his head. He needed to stop repeating these terrible ideas as if it mattered. It didn't matter. A King shouldn't waste his time and concern on these feelings and if the woman he chose as his Queen was genuinely the one true love for him. Kings had more pressing matters to attend.</p><p>And that's why Ben wondered if being King was right for him.</p><p>Because what King would waste so much energy wondering where his heart truly lay?</p><p>Again, Ben was ashamed.</p><p>Ben's thoughts wandered back to the time Mal left him for the Isle just before the cotillion. She had second thoughts about her commitment to Ben and Auradon and as a result, she slipped away and ran back to the Isle in hopes of finding comfort in the evil-ridden island. At the time, Ben couldn't for the life of him understand what could drive someone away from such a good place like Auradon. Why would anyone willingly abandon a life full of such good potential ... for a wicked community where anyone would gladly hurt you for less than a dime?</p><p>Things had changed over the past few years now. Ben had time to contemplate the adventure and since going to the Isle himself to bring Mal back, his opinions grew convoluted. With the help of Evie, Carlos, and Jay, Ben learned how to be a villain. Maybe he didn't become a villain, but he certainly had to play the part to survive even a fraction of the time they spent there. A well-intended but naive young man like himself wouldn't survive a fraction of the time on the Isle that he did. The point is, merely pretending to be a villain gave him an entirely new perspective on the Isle. Ben's eyes became open to a life outside of Auradon which he never before thought he would get to understand.</p><p>The lack of care and security. The independence. At the Isle it was every man for himself. No one would think a privileged prince, the son of Beauty and the Beast, of such a seemingly perfect kingdom would so easily slip into the role of a villain. But Ben had. Ben had <em>stolen</em> from the poor for Christ's sake.</p><p>Ben became bad within an hour of being on the Isle. Some could argue he played a better villain than Evie or Carlos.</p><p>One crucial problem, which he found to be the root of all his convoluted feelings toward Mal and his current life, was that Ben actually liked it. He enjoyed how it felt- not necessarily to steal from the poor- but how it felt to remove himself of his responsibility of the kingdom. To sneak out and be as reckless as he wanted- maybe also let go of some internalized frustration. The adrenaline he felt running through a town of villains was nothing Ben had experienced before. The respect you get at the Isle was earned on an individual level, making you feel more powerful than even an Auradon King.</p><p>Then Ben had gotten kidnapped. This was one of those moments in life which Ben truly could not wrap his head around. The ordeal had happened so fast. One second he was prancing through the Isle wreaking havoc with his friends, and the next he was tied up on a ship, looking into the icy pale stare of a true, evil villain.</p><p>It would sound silly and ungrateful to wish to live there after everything- and he honestly didn't want to live there- but that didn't mean he couldn't look back on the days he spent there with a little bit of nostalgia.</p><p>Ben wasn't too sure if nostalgia was even what he was feeling. It wasn't so much that he felt nostalgic. It certainly wasn't the same sensation as one would feel looking back on their younger days.</p><p>It was more like there was something specific from the Isle that he longed for. Something he couldn't find in his current life. It could have been a number of things like the freedom of doing whatever the hell he wanted or the lack of pressure to be perfect. Or... it could be someone...</p><p>'No,' Ben thought, shutting his eyes tightly.</p><p>It used to be infrequent, but recently Ben found his mind pondering this every morning and night. Every day he thought back on the Isle. Every day he contemplated the struggle within his heart. He would go over the experience, from the moment he stepped foot onto the Isle with Evie, Carlos, and Jay. He would remember every detail and watch the memory like a movie in his head. He would remember the kidnapping and being on the ship and his conversation with Uma.</p><p>And then.</p><p>Then he would remember the icy pale stare.</p><p>He would feel his heart make an awkward, unfamiliar beat and immediately, he would push the entire memory and everything else surrounding it to the back of his head. He would shake himself out of the deep trance he was in and carry on with whatever task he had been doing prior.</p><p>It was almost routine at this point.</p><p>Unfortunately for Ben, the continuous denial of these thoughts were only making them come more frequently, and subconsciously he understood that. He would have to eventually confront whatever it was that was bringing on all of this turbulence within him. That, however, was like confronting someone that spoke an entirely different language. These feelings were foreign to him. Why did his heart lurch like that when he remembered being on that ship? Why did Ben's chest tighten when the sound of the villainous laughter rang through his ears? Why did his breath hitch everytime he remembered those eyes?</p><p>Ben looked back at Mal next to him. There was something deeply wrong about the way Ben fantasized about the Isle when everything he should ever want was right next to him. It was almost like there was a magical force tearing at his heart, dragging his feelings away from his true love. There was a force... <em>intercepting</em> his heart.</p><p>'<em>Is there such a spell?</em>' Ben wondered. And if there were such a spell, the next question was why someone would use it on him. '<em>Maybe whoever is casting it is trying to make me question who I picked as my queen? Maybe it's to distract me or drive me into insanity to weaken me?</em>' Ben's mind raced to a thousand different frightening conclusions at once.</p><p>Ben sat up in his bed, his eyes were now wide awake at the realization. A spell. That's what it was. Why did it take him so long to figure it out? He has had enough experience with spells to know the symptoms of one. Erratic obsession, agitation, difficulty concentrating on his daily life. And the worst of all: questioning the one he shared true love's kiss. There wasn't a single shred of doubt in his mind that someone with bad intentions was using magic to ruin what he had with Mal. The main question was:</p><p>Why was Harry Hook at the center of it?</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to check out and read this chapter! I'd love to hear your thoughts so far. Is Ben/Harry your favorite ship? If not, what is? </p><p>Again, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the build of romantic chemistry that's to come!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Pirate's Life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Isle must have been facing one of the hottest days of Autumn ever recorded so far. It was only the morning and Harry already found himself wiping streaks of sweat off of his face every other minute as he worked. This boat- <em>his</em> boat- was supposed to be a place of luxury and comfort, where you could reside all day working in the sun, doing whatever the hell you want and not be fatigued in the slightest, but this one Fall day decided to be a scorching summer day and everything was miserable.</p>
<p>To start this poor day, Uma had ordered him to dock the ship on the port closest to the restaurant. This was so that they could transport the piles of loot they had collected from the past week of sailing into the back of Uma's restaurant. Unenthusiastically, Harry obeyed. Uma didn't often command him to do the type of work that could be completed by the common crew member. If it dealt with driving the ship, Harry was on top of it. Harry had no problem docking the boat; he would actually be furious to find anyone else at the wheel of the one thing he cherished in this world. Ship-sailing duty was fine. It was the other work which seemed too far below him that made him displeased to be asked to do.</p>
<p>With the brutal sun beating down from above, the restaurant was full of Islanders desperate to escape to a cooler setting with a ceiling and refreshing drinks. More customers meant more crew members needed to cover restaurant duty. This meant less crew to move the loot. And so, Harry was left alone to the exhausting, dull task.</p>
<p>"Ya can't ask me to go steal from the homeless instead, can't ya?" Harry had asked. It was as much of a plea against his orders as Uma would ever receive. He didn't think he could get out of doing the chore, but he could sure as hell make sure Uma knew just how much he <em>didn't</em> want to do it.</p>
<p>"Harry," Uma's face had been far from humored, "Just get it done like I asked. And mop the deck while you're at it. Make it look pretty."</p>
<p>The last order wouldn't have been given if he kept his mouth shut in the first place. That was definitely a chore for a crew member below him. He hadn't mopped the deck in such a long time he worried he'd forgotten how. Cruel, cruel Uma. She truly was evil for assigning him such a humiliating task.</p>
<p>With one last hard tug, Harry tightened the last knot of the dock lines onto the pilings. The ship swayed parallel the pier in front of him. It was perfectly docked and Harry marveled at how beautiful she looked under the sun with the calm glistening waves around her. She truly was a beauty... and she would look even prettier once that deck was polished to perfection.</p>
<p><em>Why</em> did Harry have to be the one to do it?</p>
<p>He stared at the mop and the bucket of water beside him with dread in his eyes. Another bead of sweat came from his forehead and instinctively his hand came toward his chest to pull out his black and red patterned handkerchief from his linen shirt pocket. He brought the handkerchief to his head to wipe away the line of sweat. Uma just had to pick the hottest day to make him mop the deck, didn't she?</p>
<p>Harry swiped out to grab the stick of the mop and his other hand swung down to pick up the bucket. He climbed onto the deck of the ship where he dropped the bucket, water splaying out at the impact of hitting the floor.</p>
<p>"Mop the damn deck she says," Harry hissed, angrily forcing the head of the mop into the water, then onto the wooden floor. He began a forceful rhythm of mopping, frustration guiding his labor rather than an effort for efficiency. "Eight damn legs and can't even bother to hold her own mop with one of them."</p>
<p>"You probably shouldn't talk about your own boss like that."</p>
<p>The voice behind Harry startled him, but he made no motion to indicate it. The recognition of the voice hit him immediately and a small grin came to his face. He remained still for a few firm moments before he twisted around on his heels.</p>
<p>"Well well well, King Benny, come back for round two, didja?" Harry tilted his head challengingly to the side.</p>
<p>Ben stood just at the edge of the dock. He was rigid in his stance and his hands were pushed into his pockets in an attempt at appearing casual. Harry's eyes examined him up and down. He was alone and he was dressed in similar attire as the last time he stepped foot onto the Isle. Offensively battered-looking to slip seamlessly into the role of an Islander. Harry couldn't blame him. It would be a death sentence to wander alone through this island in a suite and with a crown on top of his head.</p>
<p>"You brought no guards. No back up," Harry leaned to the side, allowing the stick of the mop to support the majority of his weight like a cane, "How very brave of ya'."</p>
<p>Ben looked around nervously. He cleared his throat to say, "I'm not here to fight, and I don't have anything valuable on me, so don't try to rob me. I just need to discuss a few things."</p>
<p>"Uma's at her restaurant if that's what you're here for. But let me warn ya, lad, she's quite preoccupied today and not in the friendliest of moods." He gave Ben a warning smile.</p>
<p>"Oh well... Okay, but-" Ben's eyes wandered around their surroundings again, then his eyes re-met Harry's, "I'm actually here to talk to you, not Uma."</p>
<p>Well that was a first. Harry's eyebrow raised in fascination and he leaned further on the stick of the mop. Harry's stare intensified at Ben, making his eyes drop to the ground. It was enjoyable to watch him squirm nervously. The King of Auradon... and yet he had no power here standing in front of a pirate.</p>
<p>"Well," Harry acknowledged the mop and bucket with a slim motion of his head, "I am also quite preoccupied. And I am also not in the friendliest of moods." His smile showed a threatening flash of his teeth.</p>
<p>"Yes, sorry, but I came all this way and I could really use some... answers to... a problem I'm having." Ben looked genuinely unsettled about being alone in Harry's presence and Harry liked that.</p>
<p>"The only problems I care about are the problems of my fellow pirates, so make your way back to your castle, Your Majesty." Harry's voice dipped at the last word and he swung back around to continue his languishing work. For the most part, Harry was telling the truth. He didn't totally care, but there <em>was</em> a small part of him that was genuine in it's curiosity about Auradon royalty- whom he kidnapped and threatened to make walk the plank years ago- coming to him alone to speak.</p>
<p>Did anyone else know he was here?</p>
<p>"Please, it's important."</p>
<p>Harry ignored him.</p>
<p>"Answer me, Harry, or you'll be answering to the court when I have you arrested under the suspicion of using magic against the throne!"</p>
<p>Harry froze. The grip he had on the mop grew tight to the point where his hands ached. After a quick glance around for other listening ears, Harry pivoted back to face Ben, his eyes narrowed to match his antagonistic temper.</p>
<p>"Aye, so you're threatening me now? What the hell are you talking about, me using magic against you?" Harry's voice was sour. The sudden shock of being threatened with arrest by the King himself sparked a defensive anger. When Harry was angry, he wasn't in control. And Harry much preferred to be in control. He was going to have to slip back to his charmingly badgering nature if he wanted to gain that back.</p>
<p>Ben had taken a step back. He probably hadn't intended to become as forward as he had. Harry decided to take advantage of his hesitation.</p>
<p>"I don't want to threaten you," Ben held up his hand, "But if you don't tell me what's going on, I'll have no other choice."</p>
<p>Harry watched him with close and careful consideration. At this point, Ben had been successful at capturing Harry's attention. There were clear accusations being thrown his way and Harry was honestly more intrigued in how Ben's issue involved him rather than how he'd be "arrested" if he were to not listen. Fine. Ben would have Harry's ear. But Harry wasn't going to stand there wasting his time talking to Ben for nothing in return.</p>
<p>Harry's fingers toyed with the wooden texture of the mop stick. He stood up straighter and began making his way to the side of the ship where Ben stood. He moved gracefully but not quickly, and certainly not in a manner that made Ben think he had any concern about what he was going to say. When he made it to the edge in front of Ben, he gestured his hand toward the middle of the boat in a mocking invitation for him to join.</p>
<p>"By all means, all aboard."</p>
<p>As Ben warily climbed onto the ship, Harry huffed in a mix of both mild frustration and humor. Ben's expression remained hesitant as he scanned every corner of the ship. It was most probable that he was thinking about the last time he was there. How just ten feet away from them stood the pillar Ben had been tied up to. How Harry had taunted him and mocked him until he was rescued. At least, that's what Harry was thinking about.</p>
<p>Once he was done visually touring the ship, Ben swiveled around to face Harry.</p>
<p>"So, first of all-"</p>
<p>"Ah ah ah," Harry raised his finger at Ben to silence him. Ben frowned. Harry looked him up and down one more time and continued, "I did say the only problems I cared to listen to were those of my fellow pirates."</p>
<p>Ben's nose twitched and his chest rose and fell. It was a visual indication of his growing impatience. Harry swayed toward him until his nose was only inches from Ben's and without breaking eye contact, Harry reached up to his head and grabbed his hat, turning it in his hands, and placing it on top of Ben's head. He grabbed the handkerchief from his shirt pocket and shoved it into Ben's, then as a final touch he flipped up the collar on his shirt and took three steps back.</p>
<p>"Well congratulations, Your Majesty, King Benjamin," Harry tossed the mop up vertically and caught it by the opposite end, just above the base of the mop's head. He extended the mop out in front of him like it was a sword and placed the end on Ben's left shoulder, then moved it over his head and tapped his right shoulder, in a mock knighting ceremony.</p>
<p>"You are officially a pirate now."</p>
<p>He twirled the mop in his hand like a baton and then held it out in front of Ben's chest. Warily, Ben grabbed the stick of the mop just above where Harry's hand was and took it. Harry beckoned toward the bucket of water and then the rest of the deck.</p>
<p>"So, fellow pirate," Harry's tongue rolled on the r, "Get to mopping, and I'll get to caring about your problems." Harry gave him another grin as Ben finally understood the exchange.</p>
<p>"Seriously?" Ben frowned again, making no movement to comply.</p>
<p>"This deck won't clean itself, Ben, so you better get to it. Or are you unfamiliar with the process of mopping a floor?"</p>
<p>The taunting in his last line made Ben's jaw tense up. Harry wasn't completely sure Ben would do as he asked, but after Ben drilled his stare into him long enough, he turned and made his way to the bucket of water. Harry moved over and leaned against one of the pillars near Ben, so he could both watch him work and listen to whatever issue was so important.</p>
<p>"Now, as you were saying," Harry kicked one heel up against the pillar and shifted his weight. It was as relaxed a position as Harry could visually be in. He watched Ben sourly plop the mop into the bucket and then back onto the floor and continue where Harry left off with unenthusiastic motions.</p>
<p>"You know, I really thought you had come around to being... <em>not</em> a villain since the barrier came down," Ben didn't look at him when he spoke. Harry leaned his head back on the pillar and crossed his arms.</p>
<p>"Aye, I wouldn't say I'm a villain. I just ain't gonna give somethin' for nothin'. It's still a pirate's life out here, whether most of us moved to your little kingdom or not."</p>
<p>Ben griped. Harry narrowed his eyes.</p>
<p>"So Ben, what is this magic you're accusing me of using?"</p>
<p>"Did you put a spell on me?"</p>
<p>The first thing Harry could muster was a laugh. Ben stopped mopping and the look he shot him was enough to tell Harry that it wasn't a joke.</p>
<p>"You're being serious?"</p>
<p>"Yes I'm being serious."</p>
<p>"You do realize who you're talking to, do ya? I haven't done a lick of magic in my life, Ben."</p>
<p>"Well... somebody is... doing <em>something</em>..." Ben faced Harry, his hand holding the mop motioning in a wave of emphasis on "something".</p>
<p>"Ahhh," Harry raised his eyebrows at Ben, he was officially lost in the conversation just as he now believed Ben was lost in his own head, "Wow. Somebody in this world... is doing <em>something</em>! Call the freaking royal guards, Your Majesty!" Harry leaned forward and stretched out his arms in fake despair. Certainly Ben could hear how ridiculous he sounded, right?</p>
<p>"Just stop- you know what I... Ugh, never mind," Ben gripped the top of the mop and rested his forehead on it in frustration. Harry narrowed one eye and took a questioning step toward him. He watched Ben suck in a breath and suddenly he could see just how agitated this situation was making him. This situation that was crippling Ben and completely baffling Harry.</p>
<p>"Dammit, this isn't making any sense at all." Ben stated the obvious. His voice grew calmer and smoother, back to its regular nervous self. He lifted his head up again.</p>
<p>Harry searched for a remark to make against Ben. Something snarky and dismissive of his claims. But Harry was frozen with confusion- not so much concern just yet- but definitely confusion. What in the living hell was happening? A mental breakdown from a king must be a rare account to witness and any other day Harry would be thrilled to take the free entertainment, but it was far too hot and far too early in the day for him to be managing such a position with eagerness. Well the deck had to be cleaned somehow, and if all it took was a few moments of mediating Ben's supposedly important issue, then Harry wasn't in <em>too</em> bad of a bargain.</p>
<p>"Okay, Benny," Harry held up a hand, "How about we take a deep breath, <em>keep mopping because I don't have all day</em>, and we calmly explain from the beginning what is going on? And more importantly, why you're wasting <em>my</em> time, rather than someone who might actually have an answer for you."</p>
<p>"I..." Ben turned to look across the sea at the city of Auradon in the distance, then he looked back at Harry. His eyebrows were pushed together, making his round unblemished face scarred with desperation. "I have been spelled many times. I know when something is wrong. I can't think, I'm so distracted all the time it's like there's an invisible wall or something... blocking me from everything. And there's <em>no</em> reason for any of it."</p>
<p>"So, for the first time ever, you're having difficulty concentrating. And you think you're under a spell rather than, I don't know, perhaps a little stress? Like, you know, the more viable answer?"</p>
<p>"It's not just that." Ben's anguish transformed to embarrassment.</p>
<p>"Well?"</p>
<p>"It's Mal... Something's off between us."</p>
<p>"Please don't tell me you came all this way for relationship advice."</p>
<p>"No, just listen to me. Mal is the love of my life. She's the one. We've shared true love's kiss. And now it's like every time I think of her my thoughts get redirected. When I look at her, I don't feel what I once felt. The wall- it's like blocking my heart." Ben's free hand came to his forehead. The more he spoke, the paler his face got and Harry wondered if he was going to throw up. He hoped if Ben did, he would at least not do it on the spot he just cleaned. Ben continued. "The last time this happened, Uma put her love spell on me. I would look at Mal and feel nothing. Except with the love spell, I still felt love, it was just for someone else. This is like some kind of distraction spell or an apathy spell or a... reverse love spell."</p>
<p>"And you think <em>I</em> casted this spell?" Harry walked around Ben, who seemed to have suddenly remembered his end of the bargain and continued sliding the mop back and forth.</p>
<p>"Well it's the only thing that makes sense," the accusatory tone crawled back into his words.</p>
<p>"Doesn't make much sense to me. What would I gain out of taking away your ability to love and concentrate?"</p>
<p>"Drive me into insanity? To ruin my marriage and the kingdom? I don't know. That's why I'm here asking you, Harry. What do you want?"</p>
<p>"I would like to know what exactly makes you think I have anything to do with this."</p>
<p>Ben paused. He was staring down at the mop in such a way that made Harry wonder if he even had an answer for such a simple question.</p>
<p>"Because I cannot get this place out of my head. No matter what, my thoughts always find some way to come back to this ship and Uma and you. And then I get this indescribable pain in my chest and it's like its tearing at me. I can't think straight. I can't feel the way I used to feel. And I get this overwhelming sensation that nothing is right. I get this flash of me on this ship in my head and it's like my own mind is trying to tell me who is responsible for all of this chaos. And I know it's you, so whatever you are doing to me, Harry, you need to end it now."</p>
<p>There were not many things in this world that could shock Harry. Growing up on the Isle, he had witnessed the most wicked, the most terrifying, and the most impossible. Nothing more could surprise Harry, which is why even in the face of the most uniquely strange circumstances, he managed to maintain a nonchalant character. Nothing more could surprise Harry except for everything that just occurred right in front of him. Because it had been so long since he had experienced even a second of an awkward confrontation, Harry was having a difficult time processing the way Ben was acting and the things he was saying.</p>
<p>"I don't think you've been spelled, Ben," Harry tapped his lower lip and exaggerated his concerned expression, "I think you might actually be possessed."</p>
<p>Ben dropped his hands. There wasn't much more Ben could say to convince Harry of anything at this point. And there wasn't much more Harry could say to express his disbelief of Ben's behavior. Ben was always on the softer side. Sure, he had his assertive side, but when it came to a disagreement, no matter how significant, Harry noticed that Ben almost always chose the kind, understanding approach before anything assertive. A bit naive for a king, but overall he was harmless. This was far out of his character. It would be more reasonable for a person like Mal to be so fiercly demanding answers to accusations, but then again, Harry also got the impression that Ben was really venting more than interrogating. Even if he was here speaking to the person he thought was responsible for this "crime'', it came out more like a plea for reassurance than a serious interrogation.</p>
<p>"I'm not possessed. Although it does feel that way a lot of the times. Please, Harry, if you have anything to do with this, or any answers for me, just tell me. Whatever you want, we can work something out."</p>
<p>"I don't do magic, Ben. As I said, I've never done it in my life and I have no interest in doing it in the future. I also have no motive against you or Mal and I can assure you, from the bottom of my heart-" Harry held his palms against his chest, "-That whatever is happening to ya', I have no part in it."</p>
<p>The way Ben's lips tensed up gave away his dissatisfaction of Harry's answer. Ben glanced back toward Auradon and sighed in defeat.</p>
<p>"Now," Harry tipped his head toward Ben and gave him as polite of a grin as he could give, "Give me back my mop and my hat, and I'll be more than happy to let ya' be on your way."</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Royal Lie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ben was not convinced. He was reassured and he was calmed down, but he was not a hundred percent convinced. Harry was born and raised a villain. He wasn't just a villain kid, he was an actual villain. His father was a villain.</p><p>Villains were great at manipulating people to get what they wanted.</p><p>Mal was born and raised a villain. She manipulated Ben with magic to love her. One could say Mal was potentially a far worse villain than Harry Hook, but what made Mal and her friends different was their atonement. Their wicked past was influenced by their parents' sins rather than their own nature. Inherently, the four of them were good people and they had proven themselves over and over again of their dedication to Auradon and not only saving the city, but making it a better place. Sure, they grew up reckless and uncivilized on the Isle just like Harry, but they actively made an effort to change.</p><p>Even Uma, who was still a pirate and arguably did more real damage than Mal, found herself redeemable. She fought for what she believed was right, whether the way she went about it was right or not. She set aside her differences and helped Auradon in its time of need. She still lived on the Isle, like Harry, but she was involved in Auradon and helping villain kids make the transition from life at the Isle to life at the kingdom.</p><p>What made Harry innocent? How could Ben find redemption in someone who showed no interest in being good? He fought for Auradon when Audrey took over, but did he do so out of the goodness of his heart or because he was loyal to Uma? Ben had a difficult time picturing Harry joining forces with Mal and her friends solely out of selflessness and without the influence of Uma.</p><p>Harry insisted on living in the Isle even with the opportunity of a perfect, comfortable life in Auradon right in front of him. He chose the island of criminals. And it wasn't because he had a family or a business there like Uma. Nothing else except the life of crime was enough motivation for Harry. Admittedly, Ben enjoyed the memories of running through the Isle, but as stated before, he would never choose to be a felon over an Auradon citizen.</p><p>The way Harry mocked the crown was enough to tell Ben he had some deep-rooted dislike for the kingdom. It only makes sense that Harry would be the one to attempt to corrupt it. It could be Uma. She had the experience with magic to perform a feat like this.</p><p>No, Uma didn't have any motive anymore...<br/>Neither did Harry.</p><p>There was a sense of shame that washed over Ben. Was Ben acting out of prejudice against Harry because of who he was? Harry could be truly innocent and Ben could just be making the biggest fool of himself.</p><p>He did make quite the fool of himself in front of Harry.</p><p>Whether his accusations were along the right lines or not, Ben absolutely embarrassed himself with the way he acted. All while mopping Harry's stupid ship. The same ship he was tied up on two years ago. Why would a king mop a pirate's ship? Ben was truly out of his mind with desperation. The interaction with Harry was so chaotic Ben could barely recall the chronological order of what was said even though it happened merely a half hour ago.</p><p><em>'From the bottom of my heart...'</em> Harry's voice rolled in Ben's head, <em>'I have no part in it.'</em></p><p>Ben's skin tingled in a shiver remembering his words. He sounded genuine. But... The way he tipped his head and gave his fake smile as he told him to be on his way. It was so damn difficult deciphering what Harry was thinking. His charming smile and the way he danced in his motions as if even the simplest of his actions held some underlying motivation. Ben found himself actually angry thinking about that pirate.</p><p><em>Stop. Stop thinking about it.</em> Ben shoved the thoughts away and carried forward.</p><p>Ben had just gotten back from the Isle and parked the beaten down, inconspicuous car he took to get there quite a walking distance from the castle. It was an undercover car he used and switched out every now and then to travel the city while tactfully escaping the eyes of the public. He had switched it out so often that no one but him kept track of what he was driving, not even Mal or his parents. This was good. The last thing Ben needed was anyone noticing he had left to the Isle. He couldn't imagine the questions he would receive if anyone found out he had gone to visit a pirate.</p><p>Ben made his way up the stairs in the most secluded area of the castle. He was absolutely certain no one would be around or wandering in this area. No one that would recognize him in these battered clothes anyways. Wait. Then he realized if someone were to spot him sneaking through the castle in this apparel, he would for sure get arrested as a burglar or something. Then he would have to explain himself and why he was sneaking around in battered clothing instead of wearing his regular royal attire.</p><p><em>Next time I should bring a change of clothes in the car</em>, Ben thought as panic began bubbling in his stomach. He moved faster up the stairs and made for his chambers where he could get as fast out of these clothes as he could.</p><p>Next time?</p><p>Why did Ben plan ahead for the next time he snuck out of Auradon? It's not like what he did was an acceptable enough course of action to do again. Sneaking around was completely wrong. Especially sneaking around behind his fiancée's back and traveling alone to a place that used to be her home. He was not going to be doing this again. He had desperately needed answers to a drastic crime against the throne. Answers to a question he- under no circumstances- could explain to his friends. What would he say? Oh sorry, I'm questioning my love for Mal and I think a pirate has casted a reverse love spell on me? The only thing anyone would hear would be "I'm questioning my love for Mal," and thus would mark the beginning of a painfully difficult situation.</p><p>Ben was only strides from his door.</p><p>"Ben?"</p><p>"Shit." Ben let his swear slip off his tongue when he heard his name called. His heart rate suddenly shot up with dread. He had meant for that to have stayed in his head. He was frozen for a second, but managed to turn and face Mal behind him.</p><p>"What?" The look on her face was offended.</p><p>"Sorry, I'm so sorry, you scared me," Ben lied. He let his eyes rest on Mal and then to the right of her was Jay and to her left was Evie.</p><p>"Where have you been?" Mal's expression was scrunched in an expected concern. Her eyes dropped down, then up his body and she exchanged a glance with Evie. "And why are you dressed like that?"</p><p>Ben had not expected Mal to be in this area of the castle. With the Unity Ball coming up soon in a few weeks, Mal had scheduled all of this morning with Evie to discuss the dress design for her as well as a few select honorary guests. This morning was supposed to have been the perfect time to leave and come back undetected, but of course, the one person he prayed he would not run into, he had to run into. And in his battered Isle costume. There was no good lie for why he was wearing what he was wearing. Ben would be an idiot to think the people who grew up in the Isle wouldn't recognize Isle clothes standing directly in front of them.</p><p>"Did you go to the Isle or something?" Evie asked.</p><p>"I-" <em>Come on Ben, speak</em>. You've been over this a hundred times in your head, "Uh, Yeah, actually... I have- I mean I did. I did go to the Isle."</p><p>"Oh my God, Ben," The three of them shot each other looks of surprise. Mal had taken strides up to look closer at him, "Are you okay? Why would you even think to go there alone?"</p><p>Ben placed a hand on Mal's shoulder while the other two of the party also came forward to remain at her side. He forced a calm smile over the burning anxiety he was feeling under his skin.</p><p>"Mal, it's okay, I promise. Please don't worry about it." He let his palms slide down from her shoulders and along the sides of her arms until his fingers became intertwined with hers. Mal tilted her head. Her demeanor gave no indication that she was going to simply leave it at that.</p><p>"Well I think I have to worry just a little. No one just casually goes to the Isle like a walk in the park. So why were you there?"</p><p>Ben felt his stomach sinking fast. He glanced at Evie and Jay beside her. Evie's expression reflected Mal's with a similar look of concern. On the other side of her, Jay had his arms crossed and he was looking over Ben's clothes with curiosity.</p><p>"Could we-" Ben's eyes remained on Evie and Jay, "Maybe talk about this somewhere else?"</p><p>That made everyone's eyebrows raise. Like it was some offensive remark. Maybe it did offend them. Mal retrieved her hands from his and put them on her hips. She threw her purple hair out of her face with a quick swing of her head.</p><p>"I'm sure whatever you were doing it wasn't that big of a deal, you know you can tell us."</p><p>It really wasn't that big of a deal. Going to the Isle to talk to Harry about potentially using magic against him. That wasn't a big deal. It was everything that surrounded his visit that was a big deal.</p><p>"Okay," Ben straightened himself. Internally, he wasn't calming down, but externally he looked as collected as he did at any of his political speeches. Ben was really good at hiding his crippling anxiety. "I was- uh- actually doing some... charity work."</p><p>Mal's eyes narrowed in question and stretched out her head for him to clarify.</p><p>"Charity work? Ben the barrier has been down for two years."</p><p>"Right, but a lot of people still live there. And a lot of kids too. I mean, we took down the barrier- which was great- but lately I've been thinking that... maybe the Isle could use some better infrastructure or education. Not all of the children will get the opportunity to go to Auradon's schools so... why don't we bring Auradon schools to the Isle?" Ben rambled a bit more than he intended.</p><p>"Ah!" Evie's face brightened with a smile, "Ben that is wonderful!"</p><p>"Oh..." Mal's gaze lingered on Evie as she thought, then they moved back to meet Ben's eyes, "That's a great idea Ben, but why didn't you tell me or the council first?"</p><p>"It was supposed to be a surprise," Ben blurted the first response that came to his mind. He then dropped his head to feign disappointment.</p><p>"A surprise?"</p><p>"Yeah, the idea was up in the air and so I went alone to conduct a few interviews and see how we could best execute this before I announced it. I wanted to be sure before I got anyone's hopes up, y'know?" It was easier than Ben had anticipated to look into his future queen's eyes and lie. He scanned the faces of his three friends. Evie looked ecstatic; her mouth dropped open with excitement at the idea of yet another project to benefit the children of the Isle. Mal's face was full of thought. There was only a slight sliver of skepticism in her eyes, but Ben was sure she was convinced for the most part. She surely didn't look upset. Just pondering. He looked at Jay.</p><p>Jay remained still with his crossed arms in front of his chest and he was not meeting Ben's eyes. His gaze still remained on Ben's clothes, specifically Ben's shirt. What was Jay-?</p><p>Ben's eyes darted down to his own shirt for a quick scan and then back up. His body grew tense and he suddenly realized exactly what Jay was staring at.</p><p>The handkerchief.</p><p>Harry's red and black patterned handkerchief that he had shoved into his shirt pocket and never took back. Ben remembered Harry grabbing the pirate hat off of his head and the mop from his hands. But he missed the handkerchief entirely. Now it remained in Ben's shirt pocket and Jay's eyes were glued to it.</p><p>Did he know who it belonged to?</p><p>Why else would he be staring at it like this?</p><p>Ben found himself unable to look away from Jay. Finally, Jay took his gaze off the handkerchief and then onto Ben's face. One of Jay's eyebrows raised in skepticism but he said nothing. The two shared an awkward silent exchange before they were interrupted again by Evie's thrilled inquiries.</p><p>  "So when will this project start? What kind of classes are we thinking about taking to the kids? Oh this is such a great idea, I could give sewing lessons and teach the young girls- and boys- how to design the perfect dress for a queen!"</p><p>"I don't-" Ben glanced warily back at Jay. He cleared his now-dry throat and then continued, "I don't know, actually. The ideas are still in the works."</p><p>"But I'm sure we'll figure out something wonderful, together," Mal gave an emphasis on the 'together'. She was now more convinced. Ben reached again for her hands and looked deeply into her eyes.</p><p>"We will. I'm sorry I couldn't surprise you with it. Maybe that wasn't the best idea, I just know how important the children of the Isle are to you and I really wanted to do something special." Ben was so far into his lie that it didn't feel like one anymore. He felt like he was truly apologizing for doing charity work behind her back.</p><p>"It's okay, I'm more concerned about the idea of you going to the Isle alone. What if something had happened to you?"</p><p>"I know. I promise you I'm fine. I won't be going back alone again, I swear."</p><p>"Okay," Mal finally smiled, putting Ben more at ease, "It makes me really happy to know you care so much about making the Isle a better place."</p><p>"Of course. I'll go change back into my regular clothes and let you all keep planning for the party. I'm sorry I created such a fuss."</p><p>"As long as it's for a good cause," Jay's voice held a hint of acidity to it that only Ben picked up on. Ben couldn't manage to look at Jay for longer than a second, but he forced another smile and nodded his way.</p><p>"Of course," Ben repeated.</p><p>He turned back to Mal and, desperate to physically remove himself from the conversation, he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned down to kiss her.</p><p>"That is so exciting!" Evie carried on about the idea of the education program when Mal rejoined her and the two began to depart back down the hallway, throwing their ideas back and forth. Ben twisted around to run to the cover of his room but he was immediately blocked by Jay's tall sturdy form. Ben stepped back with brief surprise, looking up to meet Jay's hard stare.</p><p>There was a painful pit in Ben's stomach. There was no way Jay knew for sure that he was lying, but with Harry's handkerchief hanging out of his shirt pocket, it was obvious Ben wasn't telling the whole truth. Ben feared what was going to come out of Jay's mouth and he prayed for him to not bring up Harry. To his luck- which Ben struggled to consider it actual luck- Jay gave one last glance to the patterned handkerchief before stepping to the side of Ben and following after the girls.</p><p>Ben didn't wait much longer before he took off toward his room, trying to shake away the discomfort of the entire interaction.</p><p>The discomfort of lying to fiancée.</p><p>The discomfort of knowing how <em>well</em> he lied to his fiancée.</p><p>
  <em>'This isn't me. I'm not myself. I need to fix this.'</em>
</p><p>He threw the door to his room closed behind him harder than he intended. His body had been reaching a record temperature and it finally started cooling down as he found himself alone and away from the pressure of his friends' questioning eyes. Jay's knowing judgement.</p><p>Ben ripped the handkerchief from his pocket, letting the mix of boiling emotions give strength to the grip he held on it. His veins popped out in his wrist. He wanted to tear it in half or throw it in a fire and curse it for betraying him to Jay. But he found himself just staring at it. The black fabric was soft and silky and the red embroidery created a contrast of abstract floral shapes. It was a unique handkerchief, especially for a pirate, but there had to have been a hundred others just like it. There's no way Jay could undeniably know this was Harry's.</p><p>How would Jay take one glance at an item as minuscule as a handkerchief and instantly connect it back to someone like Harry? How well did Jay actually know Harry? Ben understood that they had some sort of past as friends in the Isle, but Ben had a lot of close friends from his past and he wouldn't possibly recognize any of their handkerchiefs if it hit him in the face. Maybe Jay had something else entirely going on in his mind and Ben's paranoia from lying was just getting the better of him.</p><p>He could talk to Jay.</p><p>No. Just move on. Talking to Jay may only validate his suspicion.</p><p>Ben needed to move on from everything that happened that morning. Apparently, now he had an educational program to begin working on.</p><p>It wasn't a bad idea. This idea he came up as a cover up for his endeavor could potentially be something quite significant and progressive for the cities. Maybe working on this program with Mal would snap him back into his proper state of emotions. Maybe he would once again find his passion and he would overcome this internal emotional wall. It would crumble down and he could get back to his normal happy life as King. It may actually help break this spell, whether it was a real spell or a more metaphorical one.</p><p>It could help him get over the nagging memories of the Isle and the ship. Being kidnapped. Uma's love spell.</p><p>Harry.</p><p>Ben folded the handkerchief into a small triangle and shoved it away in a nearby desk drawer.</p><p>He walked across his chambers to the wardrobe room where he picked out a typical navy suit to wear for the rest of the day. He wanted to get out of these battered clothes as soon as he possibly could and carry on with the day pretending this morning didn't happen. The confrontation. The sneaking around. The lying. It was all too problematic; it was all too much trouble. Trouble was not a good look on King Benjamin. And that was all he would be in if he couldn't straighten himself out immediately.</p><p>
  <em>'I just need to stop thinking about Harry and the spell. It could all be in my head. He could be telling the truth. For all I know Harry could be a really great guy, and I could just be-'</em>
</p><p>Be what?</p><p>Overthinking everything?</p><p><em>'Under a little stress,'</em> Harry had said.</p><p>God, he couldn't believe he went all the way over there to confront Harry. He had to get answers, but was sneaking over there and speaking to him directly the proper course of action? Everything he had been feeling for the past two years since proposing to Mal had come crashing down on him when he woke up that morning. Mal was going to be gone. His parents were going to be busy. It was the only opportunity to search for answers. Harry and the Isle were the only link he had to his problem and if he wanted anything resolved he had to take the opportunity.</p><p>Even if it meant making a fool of himself.</p><p>Even if it meant lying to Mal.</p><p>If it took going behind Mal's back to break this curse and save his love for her, was it really, truly, <em>that</em> bad of a bargain?</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Thief Knows Best</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"-so I think that would be a great way to incorporate more of an incentive for the children to attend, what do you think, Ben? ...Ben?"</p><p>"Wha- Yes, no I agree, that's a great idea, Mal." Ben was unsure of what he was agreeing to. His mind was in a different universe. Surrounding him was the Auradon council which included Mal, his parents Belle and Beast, as well as the Fairy Godmother and several others. In other words, Ben was surrounded by people who were depending on him for his input and decisions. And he sat there with his attention floating off into the distance while the rest of the room discussed the plan he claimed to be so passionate about.</p><p>He felt the eyes of the room on him. Guilt crashed into him.</p><p>Ben hadn't been listening to a lot of what was said. At this point, Mal had seemed more excited about the educational program than Ben could ever fake. If he wanted to keep up the act he would have to say <em>something</em> and since he was only ten percent sure of what Mal had proposed, he decided to go the route of the generic side-step response.</p><p>"I think incentives are just as important to this program as the actual education. If anything, we should definitely discuss more creative options to get the children going. We could throw together the best program, but if it lacks in it's presentation, we would just be wasting all of our resources. So I think that's a great thing to consider," He nodded toward Mal, who sat across from him with an expression that made Ben wonder if she picked up on his dodgy response.</p><p>"So we can start by passing out fliers at the Isle," The attention turned to Ben's father, "We can make it a public event at the main square. Citizens can ask questions and we can speak to them directly and address any concerns they may have."</p><p>Belle nodded, adding, "And we can bring sign-up sheets so we can get a base head-count of how many kids are thinking of attending. We can continue pushing the program every week for more enrollment if we don't get enough at the start."</p><p>"That sounds great," Mal smiled, "So in the next several months we can launch different individual trial classes to see what is working well and what isn't. Then in a couple years or so, if everything runs smoothly, the Isle should have it's new official education system."</p><p>Eager smiles spread across the room.</p><p>"I'll have Jane start making the fliers and sign up sheets," said Ben as he rose from his chair to his feet, "We can have the first event this Saturday to speak about the program and pass out the fliers. We'll just stick to a brief introduction of the program and maybe we can bring some complimentary snacks to bring people out."</p><p>Mal rose with him, moving to stand at his side. Ben gave her a sideways smile and returned his gaze to the rest of the room. He gave a nod with his head to conclude the council meeting. Everyone began packing up.</p><p>"Mal, whenever you can, could you let Chad know about the event on Saturday so he can put it in the paper?"</p><p>"Yeah, no problem. Evie and Jay are waiting for me for lunch at the courtyard. I was hoping you could join us and we can tell them about the program together. They're going to be so excited to hear all about it."</p><p>"Of course." He put his hand around Mal's waist and pulled her to him closely. He wasn't going to let the shiver of discomfort show at the mention of Jay's name. He luckily hadn't run into Jay since that interaction from the previous day. Ever since he had shoved the handkerchief away in the drawer Ben had been unable to stop replaying the interaction in his head. He had stayed up most of the night convincing himself that, other than the handkerchief, there weren't any holes in his story that would officially prove to Jay that it was a lie. He had lost sleep at the image of Jay's skeptic face, like it was hovering over him and waiting to shout "liar" the second he closed his eyes. Ben never thought something as small as a handkerchief would ever throw him into such a state of restlessness.</p><p>If Ben were being honest with himself he would know it wasn't exclusively the handkerchief and interaction with Jay that had kept him up that night. It was also the interaction with Harry. And while Ben <em>was</em> distressed over the idea of going behind everyone's back to speak to Harry, that wasn't exactly the part of the ordeal that was most on his mind.</p><p>It was just Harry.</p><p>Just Harry was on his mind. Something about the conversation was driving him crazy. What was it? Mopping the deck? Harry's condescending demeanor? The failure to find answers to this "spell"? Maybe the fact that Harry seemed to have no intention to help Ben find the answer and instead seemed to find his predicament humorous was what was so upsetting. That did bring an aggravating bitterness to Ben.</p><p>And it certainly did not help cross Harry off as innocent.</p><p>'<em>From the bottom of my heart</em>,' Again, Harry's words played in his head.</p><p>'<em>What heart? Villains like you don't have hearts</em>.'</p><p>"Ben, this idea is wonderful," His thoughts were interrupted by the voice of his mother. Belle stood in front of him, arms stretched to embrace her son, which Ben took a second to process before realizing his present state.</p><p>"Thanks, Mom," he returned her hug before she pulled back and continued.</p><p>"It makes me so happy seeing how much love you have for the people. Especially for those unfortunate enough to be born without the same resources as those here in Auradon. Your father and I made the mistake of denying them the life many of them deserve out of fear for who they were. Your dedication to integrate them into our lives and give them the same opportunities is admirable. We are truly proud of the King you are becoming." She squeezed his hand once before her and Beast followed the rest of the council out the doors.</p><p>For words that held so much love and positivity, they surely made Ben feel sick. Had his mother heard his thought's just a second prior, she would have been ashamed and she would have condemned him for speaking so ill of a person who never got to choose how he was raised. How could Belle tell her son he had a love for his people when in his mind he doubted Harry's humanity simply because he was born a villain?</p><p>"I'm very proud of you, too," Mal rested her head on his shoulder. For one minute, Ben considered his life was perfect. It was all so perfect. How could any king be miserable at a moment like this? A beautiful, intelligent, supportive future queen at his shoulder. A proud mother and father. A city that loves you and a city full of underprivileged children that will get to look forward to a better future because of you.</p><p>And then he realized something. Everything really <em>was</em> perfect. For him to go to sleep every night and wake up every morning doubting his love and happiness was sinful.</p><p>Ben was going to do whatever it took to get to the bottom of this sin.</p><p>***</p><p>Mal and Ben were standing by an empty table in the courtyard when Mal asked the dreaded question.</p><p>"Are you okay?"</p><p>"Yeah... What do you mean?" Ben, of course, knew exactly what she meant.</p><p>"Well you've seemed a bit off lately. Like, distracted. If something's bothering you you should talk to me about it."</p><p>I snuck off to the Isle behind your back to talk to the pirate that kidnapped me a couple years ago about my sudden lack of love for you. But don't worry, it's all just a spell that I'm only eighty-percent sure he is casting on me.</p><p>It sounded ridiculous every time he simplified it.</p><p>"Oh I'm fine. I guess I have been distracted lately, but I think I'm just a bit overwhelmed because of the Unity Ball in a few weeks, and then the Winter ball in a couple of months... And now we're beginning this program. It's just a lot I have to think about and work around."</p><p>Mal toyed with the engagement ring on her finger, her eyes ahead of her seemingly empty, yet so full of thought at the same time. Ben felt the aching in his stomach return. The silence lingered awkwardly in the air and a sudden fear washed over Ben as the realization that Jay may have spoken to Mal since the morning before. Oh God. Did Mal know?</p><p>Ben's heart was beating upwards into his throat.</p><p>Mal's distant stare brightened within a second and the corners of her mouth spread over her face in joy. Her hand shot into the air to wave down her friends that came from the other end of the courtyard.</p><p>"Evie! Jay!" With Mal's level of excitement to see her friends, you would never have guessed she saw them every day. Ben found himself imagining how nice it would be if he and Mal shared that level of enthusiasm every time they saw each other after a period of mere hours.</p><p>They didn't really greet each other the way she and Evie did, now that he thought about it. Was that because Mal didn't love him as much as she loved Evie? Or was it because she could sense that Ben would never be able to match that level of passion?</p><p>Ben tried to remain firm and relaxed as Evie and Jay approached. He reminded himself to pay attention to any sign that would give off evidence of Jay speaking to Mal.</p><p>Was he being obsessively paranoid?</p><p>While Mal and Evie embraced each other, Ben and Jay gave each other an awkward smile in greeting before sitting down at the stone table. Alas, Mal and Evie pried apart and joined them.</p><p>"So..." Evie gave a knowing smile, her hands folded properly on the table before her, "When will I get to meet all of my future fashion designing students?" Mal chuckled at her friend.</p><p>"Slow down there, Evie," Mal threw a smile toward Ben, "We need to get them interested in going to classes first. And we have a lot of planning and considering to do, we can't just throw a school together in a month."</p><p>Evie scoffed playfully, "Okay, fine. Well then, what did the council decide? How are we going about this? Is it going to just be an ordinary school like the one here, but... over there?"</p><p>Ben shook his head, "We're going about it as carefully as we can. We don't want to throw everything at the Isle all at once otherwise we may overwhelm them rather than inspire them to participate." Ben looked from Evie to Jay, who had leaned back in his chair to listen attentively. Although, Ben was unsure if he was mistaking Jay's slightly narrowed eyes for attentiveness rather than more skepticism. It was almost like Jay was studying each and every one of Ben's words. And when Ben wasn't speaking, he was studying his posture or expressions.</p><p>"So... How will it work?"</p><p>"We're starting slow." Jay's attention finally broke from Ben and moved to Mal as she answered Evie's question. "We're just going to start with a few short classes to give the students a feel for what our education will be like. We'll sprinkle in some fun elective-style classes, so Evie, you may have your chance to inspire some potential stars sometime soon."</p><p>Evie bounced in her seat with excitement. "Yes!"</p><p>"We won't know for sure until we get the surveys and signature count in," Ben tapped his forefinger on the table as he spoke, "But we do plan to have some trial classes for several months until we establish the official program."</p><p>"We'll be going to the Isle this Saturday actually," Mal added, "To announce the idea of the trial classes and hand out the surveys and answer questions."</p><p>"This Saturday?" Jay raised an eyebrow, "You won't wait until after the Unity Ball?"</p><p>Ben had considered the Unity Ball was only in three weeks. These plans had the potential of bundling together and creating one confusing mental calendar for Ben. He hadn't wanted to prioritize either plan over the other... but then again, he hadn't even planned to have plans for the "education program" in the very first place.</p><p>"That could actually be good!" Evie said, her eyes scanning to everyone at the table, "Announcing something like this that is promising to better the Isle may boost the turn out rate for the ball. It's always been successful, but last year the Ball didn't have the attendance rate we expected. And most of the people who went were Auradon citizens. Maybe announcing something great like this- that is entirely for the people of the Isle- it will boost morale and more people will go to the ball?"</p><p>The Unity Ball was a special party thrown on the anniversary of the barrier being brought down. The first ball was thrown shortly after the barrier was brought down and the turn out rate was phenomenal. Hundreds of recently undivided citizens came together to dance and eat in celebration of their unity. After seeing the explosion of morale among the people, Auradon made the decision to commemorate the special day every year. That day became a day for celebration. From then on, the castle would throw a ball, entitled the Unity Ball, every year on the anniversary of the moment they brought down the Isle's barrier.</p><p>While the day was widely celebrated and appreciated, the turn out rate for the Ball last year dropped significantly. It wasn't because no one cared, or that the Ball was not planned as carefully. People just didn't show up. Ben now wondered if it was because since the barrier had been taken down, there wasn't anything else Auradon did that gave major progression for the Isle. People realized it wasn't as simple as they thought to just up and move to Auradon. Most people stayed because it was economically implausible. Bringing down the barrier freed the people to live the life they chose, but it only gave them an option to leave. It didn't give them the <em>resources</em> to leave.</p><p>Evie was right. The promise of an educational program showed the Isle that Auradon understood bringing down the barrier wouldn't simply fix their lives. Bringing Auradon to the people was a far better solution than expecting the people to come to Auradon. The kingdom was acknowledging the problems of the Isle and was promising to fix them. There wasn't much more these people were asking for. This would certainly boost morale in every way imaginable.</p><p>Ben felt a bubbling delight at the thought of the people having something to celebrate again. Did Ben just accidentally do something significantly revolutionary for an entire city? It was a bit humorous underneath all the guilt of never actually intending on starting this project.</p><p>"That's very true," Mal said, "We actually didn't even consider that the program could be so wonderful for the Ball. That's pretty good timing, wouldn't you think, Ben?"</p><p>Jay watched closely for Ben's answer. As if he knew the extent of just how little planning Ben originally did for the program. Jay may have an idea that Ben met with Harry, but there was no possible way he could prove the program <em>wasn't</em> the main reason for Ben going to the Isle. Ben knew Jay was smart. And Jay had the mind of a retired thief. Whatever he could or couldn't prove, Ben knew Jay had experience when it came to lying. He could probably <em>smell</em> a lie from across the room.</p><p>"Yeah it's great timing," Ben agreed, forgetting to take his eyes off of Jay's.</p><p>"So we're probably going to need some volunteers to help set up on Saturday. If you two want to come, that would be great," said Mal.</p><p>Evie perked up again. "Oh absolutely! I'll ask Doug to cover the shop for me. I don't think we have any appointments on Saturday he couldn't handle without my help. We've been completely booked with appointments this month. It's like people think this Unity Ball isn't in <em>three</em> weeks. Either that, or they have no idea the actual amount of time it takes to design and make the perfect dress. Thank God I have Dizzy's help, she's truly a rockstar." Evie laughed and shook her head. "It will be so nice to get out of that office for a day. Recovery days and mental breaks are just as important to your work as actually working."</p><p>Ben wondered if a mental break day was all he needed to cure the spell driving him into insanity. He was going to need a mental break anyways after the stress of sitting across the table from Jay, who was now smiling directly at him.</p><p>"You know for sure I'll be there." He said. Was his tone normal or not? Was he actually smiling at Ben with genuine excitement or was there animosity in there somewhere?</p><p>God Ben really was obsessively paranoid.</p><p>"Do you think Carlos will make it?" Mal asked Jay.</p><p>"I can ask him, but I doubt it. His school is killing him. Poor guy will probably regret going for his Veterinary Degree in another couple of years."</p><p>"He'll be Dr. Carlos De Vil in no time."</p><p>"Give or take another seven years of school."</p><p>"Lets stop picking on Carlos, he's not here to defend himself," Evie laughed, rolling her eyes.</p><p>"We're not picking on him. We love him and we're proud of him," Jay grinned, then he turned back to Mal, "But he definitely plans to go to the Unity Ball, so even if you don't get to see him now, he'll be out of his study room in three weeks for sure."</p><p>"Oh good," said Mal as she exchanged a glance with Ben, "He better show up because he got our Royal Invitation and trust me, we don't hand those out to just <em>anyone</em>."</p><p>"Speaking of Royal Invitation!"</p><p>The group turned to Jane, who seemed to have appeared suddenly from the air. She rushed up to the table with an expression of horror across her face. Horror, to Jane, was almost never as bad as it was to anyone else. Jane's definition of horror was more like finding out she ordered 29 plates for a party of 30 people. Jane stopped and put her hand over her heart before she continued.</p><p>"-And speaking of Carlos too of course, whom I love dearly and wish wouldn't pile so many courses on himself so that I could see him every now and then-... sorry... anyways, Ben, I need a complete list of Royal Invitations as soon as possible. The Honorary guests can't find out they're honorary guests the day right before the Ball!"</p><p>Ben shook his head, "I thought we already sent them all out?"</p><p>"I sent out all of the ones of the names you and Mal gave me. There are still several invitations left, though. I wasn't sure if you had completed the list."</p><p>"Yes, it's completed," smiled Ben, hoping to put the poor girl's heart at ease, "Save the extra invitations, though. Maybe we could give a couple to some kids at the event this Saturday."</p><p>"Event?" Jane's horrified expression returned.</p><p>"Oh, I guess you haven't spoken to your mom. We're going to be needing some fliers and surveys for that event before this Saturday so talk to her as soon as you can."</p><p>She looked ready to faint, but she sucked in a breath and nodded okay, then looked desperately at Mal.</p><p>"Mal... I'm going to need your help with a few of the final decorations. We're trying to match some of the flowers and decor at the Main Table to your attire and we need to order them immediately. I would like your final say in what we go with. I would hate to interrupt your lunch, but do you think I could see your dress?"</p><p>"Well I-" Mal looked at Ben with concern.</p><p>"It will only take like 10 minutes!" Jane pleaded. After seeing her face scrunched up in urgency, it would have been hard to say no.</p><p>"Sure," Mal said standing up, "I'll be right back guys."</p><p>"Wait!" Evie threw herself out of the chair, "There's a few more details I haven't added yet!"</p><p>"Okay," Mal leaned over the table, "Sorry, boys, we'll be right back here in a few minutes." She grabbed Ben's hand and squeezed in apology. And just like that, she turned away from the table and the three of them walked back toward the castle doors. Jane's frantic voice was heard until they were almost completely out of sight.</p><p>Ben hadn't turned back around until the group of girls was no longer visible. When Ben turned back around, he quickly realized it was almost impossible to bring his eyes up to meet Jay.</p><p>Oh.</p><p>Great.</p><p>Why did both Mal and Evie have to leave? Didn't they understand the uncomfortable position they were putting Ben in? No. For all they knew he and Jay were in perfect standing and would have no problem maintaining conversation entertaining enough until they returned. It's possible that could still be the case. Ben could just be overreacting and Jay wouldn't have any quarrel with him. Jay's recent intense body language could all just be a product of Ben overanalyzing.</p><p>"So how's the Tourney team going?" Ben croaked, desperate to eliminate any possibility of awkward silence, "Are you finding coaching to be as fun as playing?"</p><p>"It's going great, actually," Jay leaned forward, maintaining his relaxed appearance by resting an elbow on the table, "I mean, I will always miss the scuffles and getting to knock people around of course, but it's great to be able to pass skills down to the next group of players."</p><p>Did Jay just threaten him?</p><p>"Ah, yeah. The scuffles and tackling... You definitely excelled in that," Ben glanced to the side, "Well, maybe we could look at implementing a physical education course at the Isle. If you're looking to spread that knowledge, I'm sure some of the kids would appreciate it."</p><p>"Oh yeah that's a nice thing to consider," Jay didn't appear to show any other sign of confrontational behavior. He was no longer acting cynical toward Ben, which helped put him at ease a bit. Maybe they <em>could</em> actually enjoy a peaceful, entertaining conversation. Maybe it was all in Ben's head.</p><p>"It's crazy how this project just blew up overnight. It's really a good idea," Jay added.</p><p>"Thanks, I'm pretty excited about it. I really look forward to fleshing it out more and actually turning it into a full program."</p><p>"Yeah. I know Mal is very excited about it too." Jay's stare ventured off past Ben, "You two have really accomplished a lot as King and... soon-to-be Queen." -Ben noticed the slight change in tone as Jay said "soon-to-be"- "Everything that involves the Isle really means a lot to her. It means a lot to all of us that grew up there, really. But I'm sure most of your interest is in what it means to <em>her</em>, right?" He raised his eyebrows at Ben. Ben was unsure if Jay's sentiment was beginning to grow challenging or not. Whether it was or wasn't, Ben instinctually fell into a defensive position.</p><p>"I would say most of my interest is in what it means for <em>all</em> of the Isle." The retort came back more defensive than it probably should have. Jay made a short motion with his head to indicate he picked up on the opposing nature of the remark. Ben quickly realized the possibility that Jay was expecting- or hoping for- Ben to react in such a manner.</p><p>"Sorry," Jay backed down but he didn't look apologetic, "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that it probably makes you feel very accomplished, as a boyfriend, to see your projects make Mal so happy. I didn't mean that you did it <em>all</em> for her, but her appreciation of it definitely must make it more special for you. I mean that's why you didn't tell her about it before, right? Because it was supposed to be her surprise?"</p><p>The atmosphere of the peaceful, entertaining conversation suddenly started feeling more like an interrogation. Jay's casual questions held the undertones of someone with an agenda. Like he knew exactly what he wanted to get out of the conversation and he was going to play it until he got any form of admission of guilt from Ben that he could. Ben held his gaze firmly on Jay at this point, keeping the expression on his face as neutral as he possibly could underneath the tension.</p><p>"Absolutely," Ben's attempt to give a friendly grin almost failed, "I always love seeing her happy."</p><p>"Me too," said Jay. He leaned back in his chair, once again shifting his demeanor. His eyes dropped down to his fingers, which were tapping the surface of the table in a slow, loose rhythm. "I love her, Ben. She's one of my best friends. Evie, Carlos- we all love her and want her to be happy. And she's <em>very</em> happy being with you."</p><p>Ben felt his heart beating heavier and in a pace almost matching the rhythm of Jay's fingers hitting the stone of the table. With each tap, his heart beat harder. This sentiment sounded to be more than just a sentiment. It sounded like a warning, or a set up for a confrontation Ben did not want to have. He watched Jay's face, silently begging him to give off some indication of his intentions.</p><p>"I'm glad you've been able to bring this happiness to her life," Jay continued, still refusing to meet Ben's eye, "I would just really hate to see that get thrown away." His words stung Ben's chest, but he swallowed the churning ache and feigned a playful scoff.</p><p>"Mal and I have been together for a couple years now, why are you giving me the overprotective big-brother talk now?" Ben knew why. But it was best if Jay didn't <em>know</em> he knew.</p><p>A look of disappointment crossed Jay's face and his tapping fingers came to a halt. His fingers curled inward, scraping his nails lightly on the stone which sent a cold shiver through Ben's torso. His teeth gritted at the sound.</p><p>"Ben... I don't care what reasons you had for going to the Isle behind Mal's back. It doesn't matter if it were to conduct interviews or to read to orphan children. You snuck over there without telling anyone. You can probably see how that could throw up a few red flags for me- you know, as her overprotective big-brother- don't you?"</p><p>"I told you, I wanted to surprise her."</p><p>"So what you said to her was the whole truth?"</p><p>Ben found himself in a guessing game- no, a guessing battle- with Jay. Was the question genuine, or did Jay know with full confidence that what Ben told Mal the day before was not the whole truth. The smartest way Ben decided he could go about answering was complete denial. Unless Jay were to go to the Isle and ask every citizen if they had been interviewed by a young man with dark blonde hair of ye height, there was no way Jay could <em>prove</em> Ben was lying about the interviews. He could be as confident as he possibly could that Ben was lying. He still had no tangible proof to corner him.</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Alright," Jay leaned forward again, "So then you'll have no problem telling me how Harry is doing? Was he helping you out with the interviews? Because honestly, I'm having a difficult time picturing him doing anything like that, but props to him for contributing to the community."</p><p>Ben's skin stung all over like needles from a bad acupuncture job. At the mention of Harry's name, one of the needles pierced all the way through his chest. It took all of his willpower to not show the panic pulsing through him. Ben wasn't expecting Jay to jump straight to the point so abruptly.</p><p>"What-" Ben shook his head and managed a perplexed expression, "What do you mean? What are you talking about?"</p><p>"Harry," He had repeated, "He wasn't helping you with the interviews?"</p><p>"Mmmm, no... why would you think that?"</p><p>Jay remained still, but he was still watching Ben with great care.</p><p>"Oh my bad," Jay backed down again, but the last time he backed down he had only come at Ben in a different, more confrontational angle. Ben was completely on the edge of his seat. "I had seen the handkerchief you were wearing yesterday. The black and red one. I could have sworn Harry had one just like it. Actually... I could have sworn that <em>was</em> his."</p><p>"Oh, did he?" Ben's eyes wandered to the left in thought, "To be honest, I can't really remember which one I grabbed. I'm sure whichever handkerchief it was, it's not one of a kind."</p><p>"You're probably right," Jay's glare hardened, <br/>"Memories can be foggy too."</p><p>There was another long painful silence. Jay looked over Ben's shoulder in the direction where Evie, Mal, and Jane disappeared. He let out a sigh.</p><p>"Well if you <em>had</em> met with Harry," Jay tilted his head to Ben, "I would have then brought up how <em>unwise</em> of an idea that was. Just because of who he is and the type of trouble that follows him. And then that would have brought me back to the whole 'don't sneak around your fiancée's back' spiel. Because we love Mal and we don't want to see her get hurt."</p><p>Jay stood up and readied himself to leave. He continued speaking, maintaining his heavy, cautionary tone.</p><p>"But since, of course you <em>didn't</em>, I'll just skip all of that and say that Ben, I really hope this program works out for the best. It doesn't seem like the girls are getting back any time soon, so I'm going to take my lunch to go and check on Carlos. I'll tell him you say hi."</p><p>Before Ben could give more than a hesitant nod, Jay smiled, twisted around, and headed toward the opposite end of the courtyard. Ben was left alone to the residual shock of Jay's words. His demeanor.</p><p>His passive accusations.</p><p>'<em>Don't sneak around your fiancée's back'</em> was spoken with such force that it sounded like a completely separate threat within the sentence. There was no denying that Jay was unconvinced. There was no denying that Jay could smell all of Ben's lies.</p><p>The wave of guilt came crashing over him again. The burning hatred for himself reignited. This was getting to be too much. Ben felt nothing more than a painful desperation for things to return to the way they were before. He didn't <em>want</em> to sneak behind Mal's back. He didn't <em>want</em> to lie to her or to any of his friends.</p><p>He just wanted the curse broken.</p><p>Ben shoved his face into his hands.</p><p>"<em>Shit</em>."</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Spindling Lies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry did not enjoy large crowds of people. Well actually it was large crowds of <em>overly optimistic</em> people that he did not enjoy. As a pirate you had to get used to quite a few individuals in a smaller, more restricted space. On a ship. In Uma's restaurant. He could tolerate those settings. Walking through the condensed alleyways of the Isle was as familiar as anything else. As a matter of fact, the more crowded an area was, the more opportunities there were to pick-pocket unsuspecting folks- which is something Harry very much enjoyed.</p><p>No, crowds didn't bother him.</p><p>But an organized event full of people- who were supposed to be living their regular miserable lives- singing dishonest songs of hope for tomorrow while the privileged royals of Auradon paraded through their poverty definitely struck a nerve in Harry. It's not that Harry didn't believe in hope. He very much wished life for everyone on the Isle could get better. It's just that, when everyone in this large crowd found themselves able to be overly optimistic, that made Harry the only one miserable. And that, he did not enjoy.</p><p>"You could at least <em>fake</em> a welcoming smile, Harry."</p><p>"Oh Uma," Harry's eyes became exaggerated in their desperation, "I could give you a <em>real</em> smile if you set me free from this place!"</p><p>Uma rolled her eyes, but laughed. "Absolutely not. I worked hard to arrange this event. And while Mal said they have most of the volunteers covered, you and I have an <em>obligation</em> to support promising programs for our community's future. Like this one."</p><p>"Ugh, those are just too many long, boring words for me to get motivated."</p><p>"Well then maybe instead of the children, this educational program will benefit <em>you</em>. Then you could actually learn all those long boring words. Maybe that will motivate you?"</p><p>Harry's head fell all the way back, where his nose pointed directly toward the sky. He gave a long, defeated sigh of despair before Uma's elbow came jabbing into his ribs, knocking him off balance.</p><p>"Aye," He regained his balance with a laugh, "You just love watching me suffer, don't you?"</p><p>"Oh yes. Now go suffer over by the survey table. Ben and Mal are about to pull in and this crowd is only going to get bigger. While they are giving their speeches, I need you to keep an eye on the tables and make sure no one is knocking things over or- god forbid- the snack table gets trampled."</p><p>"There's going to be a snack table?</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Well that's all the motivation I need, Uma, why didn't you just say so in the first place?"</p><p>"Oh gee, I guess I thought the idea of better educational opportunities would be the selling point," She shook her head, then threw her finger toward the arrangement of tables in front of the square tower where Ben and Mal would make their speeches, "Now go.. And do <em>not</em> eat the food when they bring it, please."</p><p>"Anything else?" Harry sighed, swaying backwards in the direction she pointed.</p><p>"Yes, you're here to help make sure there isn't any trouble so don't be <em>causing</em> it. Ben's doing something great for the Isle so at least try to return the civility."</p><p>"I'll make sure to give His Majesty the most welcoming of smiles. Perhaps, even a curtsey," Harry demonstrated a ridiculous curtsey which made Uma unable to hold back a laugh. When she scoffed at him, Harry swirled around and made his way to the tables.</p><p>The tables were set up in a large half circle underneath the tower and several of Auradon's volunteers were already there working diligently to organize the stacks of papers and signs. The main table in the middle was the information booth where most likely Ben and Mal would be after their speeches to draw people in and explain the program. To both sides of the information booth (and most importantly) were the snack tables, which the other Auradon volunteers had only just begun stocking.</p><p>'<em>Ten minutes</em>,' Harry thought, '<em>Before those tables are ravaged completely</em>.' The Islander's waiting anxiously near the tables had already begun closing in at the sight of fresh, free food being stacked right in front of them. Maybe Ben had forgotten what a rarity fresh food was on the Isle and had neglected the fact that the mere smell of it could be a cause for chaos.</p><p>On each end of the snack tables were two other tables which had fewer decorations and more stacks of papers. The most uninteresting of the other tables, but probably the most important. Harry had no curiosity to drive him to figure out what made those papers important, instead he made his way straight for the snack table.</p><p>"Um-" One of the Auradon volunteers put up his hand to stop Harry as he reached for a pastry that was just placed with dozens of others on the cake stand, "Sorry, but you have to wait until the event starts like everyone else."</p><p>"Oh, like everyone else, huh?" Harry did not retract his reaching fingers, "Is everyone else also a hard-working volunteer like me-self, and deserving of compensation... also like me-self? I don't think so." With his threatening eyes still on the Auradon volunteer's, Harry grabbed the pastry and took a bite. The volunteer was less than pleased, but his hesitation to effectively respond left him hopeless so he just shook his head and worked to finish stocking the snack table with an irritated frown.</p><p>Harry gave an unapologetic smile and he leaned against the table as he proceeded to shove the rest of the pastry into his mouth. How long had it been since Harry tasted the overwhelming sweetness of sugar? Since Uma took over her restaurant after the barrier came down, she was able to import far better food from Auradon than what she originally had to work with. As higher quality as the food was however, the Isle still couldn't sustain the same level of resources that Auradon had. Delicacies like desserts and other sweets were too much for most citizens to afford anyways.</p><p>But God, if Ben could do anything for the Isle Harry would want it to be daily shipments of the finest Auradon cuisine for everyone. But, he would have to settle for better education. </p><p>The town's square suddenly began to grow twice as populated and the moderately leveled chattering boosted into an arena of unanimous excitement. As heavenly as they looked, it couldn't have been the near-fully stocked snack tables that drew the crowd this quickly. Harry looked off to the entrance of the Isle.</p><p>Ah, of course.</p><p>Over the line of heads that formed in front of the entrance, Harry spotted two black limousines driving into sight. The Auradon royalty was halfway over the bridge and steadily approaching the Isle's gates. This event was about to get a whole lot more chaotic.</p><p>Ben and the original four "Villain Kids" didn't visit the Isle frequently so each time those fancy black limousines crossed the entrance gates, it always drew in half of the city. And half of the Isle's population in one condensed area waiting to see their biggest celebrity figures didn't make for the most composed of events. People were ridiculous. What drove someone to act so uncivilized in the presence of another human solely because they see that person on the television? Maybe it was just because Harry was personally acquainted with all of them, but he couldn't grasp what made them special enough to receive the reaction they got. Okay, yeah, Ben and Mal were King and almost-Queen... but other than a title, what was it that made people feel the need to scream like a madman in their presence?</p><p>It's not something Harry despised in people- although it did sometimes get on his nerves- he just didn't understand it. Celebrities. Royalty. Idols. Ugh. Now the snack bar, <em>that</em> was definitely worthy of an overexcited mob.</p><p>The limousines were both escorted by smaller but equally luxurious vehicles. When the two cars in the front reached the gate, Auradon guards stepped out to begin parting the crowd. It was the same routine, why couldn't the crowd remember that the longer it took for them to step to the side and let them in, the longer it took to see their precious celebrities? Watching hundreds of people struggling to work in unison to divide themselves while several guards tried their best to herd them was almost hilarious. No wonder Ben and Mal rarely travelled here (Officially, anyways). It took hours just to drive five feet.</p><p>The escort cars inched through the crowd, paving the path for the two trailing limousines and after an eternity, the line of Auradon cars were fully past the entrance. The division of the crowd morphed into a wide circle of space around the cars and several more volunteers ran out to begin setting up barrier ropes. The barrier was assembled to surround the cars and also create a pathway to the square tower.</p><p>Once the barrier was set up, the limousines came to a park and the guards in the escorting cars surrounding them exited. They made their way to the first limo and opened the doors. Of the several people that stepped out, Harry only recognized Evie and Jay. He watched the two smiling and waving excitedly at the crowd.</p><p>Evie appeared more excited to be there than anyone in the crowd was to see them there. It's not like most people in the crowd were there to see them in particular anyways, but Evie and Jay still held a considerable amount of celebrity status among the Isle. Especially Evie. She was always so bright and positive. That motivating personality, as well as her successful clothing line made her a crowd favorite at the Isle. Harry had to admit, she had quite a way with people and it would be a lie to say she never grew on him. Bubbly personalities drove Harry insane; what was there to be so positive about? But Evie was so difficult to dislike. It was almost admirable how persistent she was in her positivity.</p><p>Then there was Jay. He was not as positive as Evie. Not necessarily as motivating of a  person. Certainly not bubbly. He was just as involved in the well-being of the Isle as the other three were, but he definitely did not have the same stage presence as Evie. It was probably the most difficult- maybe the most irritating- for Harry to see Jay up there basking in his celebrity status with the other Auradon royalty. Maybe because Harry still saw so much of himself in Jay.</p><p>Jealousy was not the issue. Harry certainly did not want to be walking beside Jay being screamed at by mindless citizens. He also shivered at the idea of living in the Auradon castle. No it wasn't jealousy. It was more like... an offense. Like Jay- who was like Harry in most aspects and who he shared a much deeper history with- was committing an offense by disregarding his entire past at the Isle to pretend to be a noble Auradon star who could do no wrong. Harry knew that wasn't who Jay was. He knew Jay well before the days of him being integrated into Auradon. And he wasn't the selfless hero he pretended to be now. He used to be a criminal just like Harry. He used to steal and lie and cheat. He used to...</p><p>Harry rolled his eyes and pushed away the past memories. There was no point in digging up every reason Jay shouldn't be standing over there now. Harry had plenty, but he knew it didn't matter. Jay was a celebrity now and was well loved in the Isle just like Carlos and Evie. And like Evie, Harry didn't dislike Jay either. He really couldn't. I mean, who else was around that could give him as much joy to piss off than Jay?</p><p>Evie strutted down the pathway as if she were the star of a pageant show. Jay followed behind her, not quite as engaged with the crowd but definitely getting some waves of hello in. Other few, less popular Auradon members exited the limo and followed. The set of guards that had opened the limo doors for Evie's and Jay's group moved down to the second limo. By the time their white-gloved hands touched the door's handle the sound of the crowd gradually became more restless and when they opened the limo, it was like they had opened the doors to an even louder eruption of cheers and clapping instead.</p><p>The flash of purple hit the sunlight first. With minor assistance from one of the guards, Mal ducked out of the limo first. Her slick dress matched her purple hair which rested lightly on her shoulders. To top her semi-formal appearance was a welcoming smile that told the audience just how pleased she was to be in their presence. Her smile seemed genuine from Harry's distance. A genuine smile from the daughter of Maleficent. Her happy expression truly put into perspective how long it had been since Harry saw Mal, Evie, and Jay in person. It couldn't have been since the day the barrier was brought down, could it? That was a couple of weeks away from being two whole years.</p><p>Uma very frequently went to meet Mal and the gang in person in Auradon. She went often for business and some council meetings but she also went a lot for fun and to spend time with Mal. She spent quite a bit of time with the Auradon group because she divided her life between there and the Isle since the barrier came down. Harry never went with her. Uma prodded him to join her travels just about every time she went for the first year but eventually after she got the idea he would never say yes, Harry began to lose the invite.</p><p>He knew Uma still wanted him to go and she would definitely prompt him to attend the third annual Unity Ball in two weeks. Harry would of course still refuse and Uma would again be disappointed, but she would understand. Harry just wasn't friends with anyone from Auradon the way Uma was. He didn't have much desire to play dress up and strut around the pretentious castle like he didn't spend his entire existence unjustifiably excluded from that type of life. He would take the comfort of his ship any day.</p><p>Harry had seen Mal so often on the television he had forgotten it had been so long since he actually saw these people in person.</p><p>All except for Ben.</p><p>When Ben stepped out of the limo, he looked like an entirely different person than the Ben Harry spoke with on his ship not even a full week prior. The Ben that snuck on the Isle in battered clothes and rambling about spells was just... Ben. And that was the Ben he felt he knew the most, oddly enough.</p><p>This person was different. This was <em>the</em> King Benjamin. Less of a person and more of a hologram to match the same King Ben persona that was shown on the news and magazines. Calm, confident, and collected. He was standing in a posture that was commanding of respect- which he was receiving by the sound of the hundreds of people around him.</p><p>'<em>Eh, he's still just Ben</em>,' Harry thought as he pictured the Ben standing in front of the limo also mopping his ship. Yes. This was still just Ben. If the crowd saw the Ben that Harry knew, they probably wouldn't be cheering so uncontrollably.</p><p>It was almost immediately after Ben had exited the limo that the camera crew was on top of them, documenting his every fraction of a motion. King Benjamin straightened his polished suit and acknowledged one of several cameras with a wave before turning to the crowd.</p><p>It was funny to watch <em>King</em> Ben. While regular Ben was so unknowingly offensive wearing an overly-battered costume to blend into the Isle, this King Ben was also unknowingly offensive, but for the polar opposite reason. Harry realized a king was supposed to be dressed in only the best attire, but with a fiancée who lived and understood the level of poverty of the Isle, you would think he would have considered <em>some</em> humility. Or maybe he just forgot the fact that his high-end shoes and sunglasses and wristwatch alone cost more than the worth of the whole Island. The crown itself was probably enough to pay the entire crowd's rent for a year. Or maybe he planned to hand these items out as a charitable donation to the starving citizens?</p><p>It didn't bother Harry to see Ben casually flaunting his expensive luxury items. Like the battered clothes, he actually found it amusing. He was here to bring a mound of opportunities- according to Uma- to the children he stood before, so he got a pass this time.</p><p>Mal had slipped her arm under Ben's and the two began to acknowledge the crowd. He held out his free hand out to give a polite wave and the two of them strolled down the path. Harry was surprised there weren't men hired to lay down a swede red carpet so the bottom of Ben's shoes didn't touch the Isle's dirty ground. The image made Harry chuckle. He was probably being a tad unfair on Ben's behalf.</p><p>Ben and Mal were engaging the crowd with smiles and waves the entire walk to the tower, where they disappeared only to return less than a minute later on the balcony above the table arrangements. Harry had to crane his neck to see them. The audience congregated around the tower as if it were a stage to a theater performance. Luckily, there were rope barriers in a wide circle around the table arrangements to keep people from eating the food before the event even started, so Harry was currently safe from the cramped, annoying mass of people. He guessed being a volunteer came with one good perk. Although, if he weren't forced to volunteer by Uma, he wouldn't be anywhere near this event in the first place.</p><p>From the angle he stood, Harry could see Ben and Mal at the microphone at the edge of the balcony. He barely saw Uma standing off behind them, along with Evie and Jay. With a test of the mic, Ben took off his sunglasses, folded them, and put them inside his suit pocket. Now that his eyes were visible, Harry noticed slight rings underneath his bottom lids. There was a puffiness to them that made lack of sleep apparent. Magazines and television couldn't cover up this visual flaw when he stood before everyone in person.</p><p>Harry raised an eyebrow. He had been curious to see Ben again since the last time. He was intrigued to spot if there was an indication of Ben's recent slip into insanity in a very public setting. What was the problem he claimed to have? Difficulty concentrating? Would these behavioral changes he mentioned be up on display in front of hundreds of citizens? </p><p>So far, Harry checked "lack of sleep" off his imaginary list of Ben's issues.</p><p>"Ladies and Gentlemen," Ben spoke into the mic with ease and clarity, "People of the Isle, it is my honor to be here with you."</p><p><em>'Yeah right</em>,' Harry thought, huffing in amusement.</p><p>"As you all have probably read on paper by now, we have an exciting project to announce for all of you. Admittedly, it has been too long since the last time we have been here, and we understand that needs to change. The last major development we made for the Isle was bringing down the barrier, which opened up incredible opportunities for many of the younger citizens living here. We realize that unfortunately, simply opening the barrier does not solve many of the problems that are faced here."</p><p>'<em>You don't say?</em>' Harry watched Ben's face. As vibrant as his voice was, his expression appeared more or less deadpan. It very much sounded like someone who held a lot of passion for what they spoke about, and Ben's concision and ability to persuade through his tone always impressed Harry, but there was something in Ben's face that almost gave a vibe of disinterest. Expressions were always harder to fake than tone of voice. It could be the fact that Harry was so focused on picking up Ben's distressed signals that he was making them up himself, or that he was overanalyzing. But on a very thin wavelength, Harry could almost feel Ben's apathy.</p><p>Apathy. That was also on the list of symptoms of Ben's self-diagnosed curse.</p><p>'<em>Check</em>.'</p><p>"Education plays such a huge role in the development of a society. We realize we have not done our best to make sure that the Isle has the same educational benefits as Auradon. That's why, when the consideration of a refined school for the Isle came up, the decision to pursue it was unanimous..." His voice trailed off slightly which made the end of his sentence come out awkward as he held onto the "s" a second too long. Harry noticed Ben's eyes had stopped traveling across the sea of heads below him.</p><p>They had landed on Harry. And now Ben seemed to have trouble formulating his next words.</p><p>Harry could only guess what was going through the king's mind. Realizing Ben was now put on the spot, Harry raised his eyebrows and motioned his hand in tiny, teasing circles to beckon him to continue. Ben's gaze returned to the people, his swift transition back to the speech playing off the sudden distraction so well it could have fooled Harry.</p><p>"So, we are very excited to bring about the ideas for this project. Yes, it's only in the beginning stages, but that's why we are here today- so we can give <em>you</em> the opportunity to be involved in the production..." For a quick second, Ben's eyes glanced back at Harry, "This project is solely for the Isle, so we believe it's incredibly important for the people that are supposed to benefit from it, to have a say in its operation."</p><p>Harry crossed "easily distracted" off the imaginary checklist. Huh. Maybe Ben really <em>was</em> under a spell.</p><p>"Now," Ben continued, "I'll hand the mic over for my beautiful fiancée to tell you all about this event and why we are here right now. I know she's the one you all came out to see, anyways." Ben turned to smile at Mal beside him who returned him with an even bigger smile. As the audience clapped, Ben took a step back to give her the microphone.</p><p>"Thank you, Ben," Mal turned to the audience, "As you can see we have tables set up for more information on the rough plans for the program. We find your input to be our biggest priority right now since it won't be long before we launch trial classes..."</p><p>Mal carried on speaking about the courses and how beneficial they were going to be for the Isle, as well as how important it was for the people to fill out the surveys as thoroughly as possible. Harry wasn't really interested. Well, he wasn't interested at all. Instead, he was watching Ben standing stiffly behind Mal, looking almost as if he were forcing himself to keep his eyes forward. He wasn't smiling anymore. It was like his superstar persona almost completely shut off once he was no longer in the spotlight.</p><p>It was... intriguing. And kind of funny in a less sensitive way. Did he still think Harry was casting a spell on him? His minor fidgeting didn't give Harry much confidence that he had changed his mind. At least, there was obviously some issue still plaguing him.</p><p>Whatever it was, Harry was not going to be responsible for fixing the issue.</p><p>After a few more agonizing minutes of unnecessary words, the speech finally came to a close and the people began clapping and cheering for their king and queen again. The sudden eruption of noise woke Harry back up from his unconscious daze.</p><p>Was the actual event starting now?</p><p>Oh God, did this mean Harry was going to have to start working now?</p><p>Ben and Mal along with Evie, Jay, and Uma behind them, waved one last time to the crowd before they disappeared from the balcony to come down to the arrangement of the tables. A few moments later, the group of them reappeared back on the ground level with guards blocking all sides of them. The guards escorted them through the crowd and toward the main table where Harry stood. When they were through the rope barriers that safely surrounded the arrangement, the guards split off from the group and positioned themselves on all sides of the area so they could keep an eye on both Ben and Mal as well as the oncoming horde of citizens eager to meet their rulers.</p><p>Ben led his friends over to the main booth with Mal beside him, arm still wrapped around his. He was first to meet eyes with Harry as he approached and Harry could see his entire body stiffen.</p><p>Just before Ben had left Harry's ship he had made it very clear how important it was that Harry did not mention anything about the conversation to anyone. So... it was going to be quite fun watching Ben bottle up all of his paranoia and pretend like the last time they saw each other was truly two years ago. Because Harry was sure as hell going to make Ben's pretending as difficult as possible.</p><p>All in good fun.</p><p>"Your Majesties," Harry said as Ben and Mal approached the table. He crossed his leg behind the other and gave Ben the playful curtsey he had promised Uma he'd give, "Long time, no see. Great speech, I saw you stuttering up there, did someone spell you or did you just choke up looking into me beautiful eyes? Its okay if you did- most people do-"</p><p>"It's good to see you Harry," the flat tone of his voice actually said "shut up".</p><p>"Wow Harry, it's been a while," Mal's smile gleamed even brighter a foot away, "I really wasn't expecting to see you here."</p><p>"Hello, Mal," Harry dipped his head politely to her, "Yes, I just thought I would get in some quality community service hours and support a great cause."</p><p>"Oh really? So Uma didn't have to drag you out here?" Mal raised a teasing eyebrow at him.</p><p>"Oh she absolutely did."</p><p>"That's what I thought-"</p><p>"Harry!"</p><p>Before Harry could turn around he was tackled by a sudden embrace and a flash of blue hair veiled his vision. Evie's arms flew around his torso and Harry became bound by the tight restraint of her hug. She shoved her head into his chest and squeezed tighter. The shock of being hugged had Harry frozen in abashment. He was clueless as to how to match Evie's level of affection, but before he could physically do anything, she released him.</p><p>"It's been too long!" She exclaimed, almost in a scolding manner, "I'm glad you're here."</p><p>Harry gave a breathy laugh, still alarmed by the hug, "Evie. It's always a pleasure to see you." Evie gave him a smile of satisfaction and behind her, Jay caught his eye.</p><p>"Awe, Jay," Harry held out his arms, "What? No hug?"</p><p>Jay gave him an unamused look then rolled his eyes and turned away from him. That was as sufficient enough of a greeting from Jay as Harry expected.</p><p>"Well I'm glad to see you made it through the speech, Harry," Uma cut in, rejoining the group, "So we're going to start letting the people in now. Evie and Jay, if you two could cover the table over on that end. I'll cover the sign up table on the other end. Ben, Mal, you two will stay here at the main booth and greet the people. We'll keep it as regulated as we possibly can and you have a couple of guards and Harry here to help make sure no insane people try anything."</p><p>"You elected an insane person to protect them from insane people?" Jay asked, a sneer crossing his lips in Harry's direction.</p><p>"Hey now, Jay," Harry returned his humorous sneer, "Think of it more like... it <em>takes</em> one to <em>spot</em> one."</p><p>"Ah, so then I guess you are the most qualified for the job," Jay said.</p><p>Harry shrugged admittedly and Jay rolled his eyes again, but this time there was a sliver of more humor to it.</p><p>"Alright guys, come on," Uma urged, "Let's get to our spots and I'll tell them to start letting people come over. Are you ready?" Her question was aimed toward Ben and Mal. Mal nodded while Ben appeared too distracted to have even heard her question. Ben's gaze had been in Jay's direction.</p><p>"Ok, let's try to get as many surveys filled out as possible," Uma said and she gave a final encouraging nod to the group before each of them broke off to their separate posts.</p><p>As Evie and Jay left to their table and Uma left to hers in the opposite direction, Ben and Mal remained and repositioned themselves behind the main information booth. Harry sighed and moved to stand beside Ben.</p><p>"You okay there, Benny? You seem a bit... distracted," Harry crossed his arms and watched Ben's expression.</p><p>Ben's mouth twitched in discomfort and he began repositioning the stack of papers on the table even though they had already been perfect before he touched them. He was refusing to look in Harry's direction and after seconds of what felt like ignoring him, he exhaled a short breath and feigned the most disingenuous smile Harry had seen.</p><p>"I'm great. There's just a lot more people here than I was planning to see."</p><p>Even though Ben was referring to the size of the crowd, Harry couldn't help but interpret it as <em>him</em> specifically being apart of the "more people" Ben hadn't planned on seeing.</p><p>"Don't bother asking him, Harry," Mal popped her head around Ben's body to look at Harry, "I've been trying to get him to tell me what's been distracting him for quite some time now." Mal spoke as if Ben wasn't standing there, then she shot him a skeptical glare.</p><p>"Have you, now?" Harry watched Ben growing increasingly more uncomfortable, "Ben maybe you should try communicating more with your fiancée? Communication is vital in every relationship, you know." Mal laughed but Ben's eyes remained on the stack of papers in front of him.</p><p>"Thank you, Harry," Ben said, finally looking up at him, "I'm glad to know the Isle has such an insightful relationship counselor."</p><p>Harry gave Ben a knowing stare and the two held a tense gaze before Harry walked around Ben and put his arm around Mal's shoulders. "Oh Mal. Give it a bit of time. Men can be just the <em>worst</em> at understanding their own emotions."</p><p>"Huh," Mal chuckled and rolled her eyes, "You can say that again."</p><p>Ben's eyes met Harry's in another hostile gaze. At this point, Harry could sense he was taking his taunts a bit too far. As funny as it would be, he didn't want to push the king into snapping and having any kind of meltdown in front of half of the Isle. Not right now at least.</p><p>"Here they come," said Mal, and Harry looked up to see a horde of people stampeding toward the tables. Several guards stepped forward to force a distance between the oncoming crowd and the table they were at. As important as the educational program was made out to be, it surely seemed like meeting the King and Queen was at the top of most of the people's list of priorities. Higher up, at least, than actually learning about the program.</p><p>Fighting to the front of the crowd was another camera crew and several interviewers calling out to Ben and Mal to go answer questions. Because the guards were not allowing them any closer, a few of the interviewers began calling out the questions instead, as if Ben or Mal were going to casually yell the answer back. Beside him, Ben was watching the journalists warily, like they were an alarm clock that had just woken him up an hour earlier than normal. Mal held a similar, but less dreadful expression.</p><p>"Don't worry guys," Harry said, "I can cover the interviews if ya need me to."</p><p>"No..." Ben answered, as if Harry taking over the interviews was an actual consideration, "I'll go. Mal, you can cover the table right?"</p><p>"Sure thing," Mal watched her fiancé with concern, "Whenever you need to tap out I'm here to take over."</p><p>Ben tried to give her a smile before he walked around the table and toward the interviewers. Two guards moved to stand beside him and merely seconds later it was like the amount of journalists and cameras doubled. Harry couldn't hear what Ben was saying at this distance and with the surrounding noise of the public.</p><p>"So you notice it, too?" Mal turned to Harry as soon as Ben was preoccupied and out of earshot.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"He's so... stressed out. He acts like everything is fine but I'm not stupid, I can see past that."</p><p>"I'm sorry Mal," Harry held up his hands in defeat, "I wouldn't know, I'm not actually a relationship counselor."</p><p>"But you noticed how distracted he looked. So I'm not going crazy."</p><p>"Yes but it's <em>Ben</em>. He's good guy. I'm sure whatever it is he'll be getting over it soon enough." Even though Harry had no reason to involve himself in the situation, a tiny part of him actually felt bad. While Ben was off telling Harry all about his struggle to love his fiancée, his fiancée was noticing and driving herself crazy with her state of unknowing. And now Harry was helping Ben lie. There was a lot of sinful activities Harry was perfectly comfortable doing in this world, but blatant lying was one of the few that he did not enjoy. There were many forms of lying he was guilty of; stealing, deceiving, and manipulation could be considered lying and Harry lived more than half of his life doing those activities. But when it came to looking someone in the eyes and withholding the truth- even for the sake of not hurting them- there was something about that which exhausted him. It was so much more trouble to lie than to tell the truth. </p><p>God why did Ben have to selfishly drag him into this?</p><p>"I've talked to Evie and Jay about it. Evie insists everything is okay. She doesn't necessarily notice Ben acting weird, but she's also very preoccupied with her work and her own relationship with Doug. Jay listens and seems to notice more, but his main advice is just that I should talk to Ben, which I try to do."</p><p>"Ah so Jay's out giving relationship advice, now?"</p><p>Mal scoffed, "You two need to just kiss and make up already."</p><p>"Aye, no thank you. Our days of wreaking havoc across the Isle together are long gone. I quite enjoy our current dynamic, actually. Getting under his skin is far more fun than making peace."</p><p>"Well, pity." Mal looked back at Ben who was flooded with reporters. Harry looked over at Jay across locale who was busily handing out papers alongside Evie while speaking to inquiring individuals of the public.</p><p>The guards in front of the booth began to let several people at a time through to speak to Mal. Mal immediately straightened herself, her demeanor blossomed from being slightly stressed about her fiancé to lively and welcoming within a second. The small group of citizens now standing before their queen were riddled with excitement and eager to speak. Mal blushed as they bowed respectfully and then she thanked them for coming out and began reciting her pitch about the program.</p><p>Was this all they were going to be doing the entire event?</p><p>Harry was going to need more of those Auradon pastries if he expected to get through even another hour.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Villain of the Piece</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Only ten minutes passed before Uma spotted Harry lounging at the snack table.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“You couldn't make it an hour of working before taking a lunch break?” she had scolded, “I also told you not to eat the complimentary food, Harry. Get back to work.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Grudgingly, Harry had sauntered back over to the main information booth, the pastries he had swiped still in his hand. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Ben had tapped out of the interview and Mal was now taking over speaking to the journalists and camera crew. Considering Ben’s current weird mental state, he had lasted a lot longer in front of the prodding reporters than Harry expected. The overwhelming nature of the interviewers must have forced Ben’s focus back on track because by the time Harry got back to the table, Ben appeared far less distressed. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">When Ben saw Harry again, it was like he remembered why he was so irritable in the first place. His face flashed a look of displeasure but he quickly turned back to hand out one of the surveys and say goodbye to the person he was speaking to. The person bowed respectfully before leaving so the next few people could approach and speak to the king. Harry strolled up beside Ben. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Would you like a pastry, Ben?” Harry motioned one of the pastries forward, “You look like you need something to sweeten up this sour day of yours.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“No,” he sighed, “But thank you for the consideration.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“You know,” Harry pulled a chair out and sat down, kicking his feet up on the edge of the table and taking a bite of the pastry he had just offered, “You can distrust me all you want, and I guess I can’t blame ya’ for it. But you cant be gettin’ yer panties in a twist every time you see me unless you want people picking up on it. Then they’re going to ask what’s going on and you're going to have to tell them all about how you-“</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“God, Harry, could you <em>stop</em> talking right now?” he said sharply, his voice low enough for only Harry to hear. He turned his head toward him, indicating he was going to say something further but before he could get any other words out, he was interrupted by another small group of people desperate to meet their king. Ben snapped his attention away from Harry and onto his new guests. He put on another one of his great big fake smiles to greet the man and his family walking up.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“<em>Tsk,</em>” Harry rolled his eyes and chuckled at Ben. Ben ignored him and nodded in greeting to the man.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Your Majesty!” The man cried, bowing, “It is such an honor to be in your presence.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The level of desperate enthusiasm this man displayed to Ben made Harry cringe. The man reached out to take Ben’s hand. It was an odd and typically out-of-line type of behavior for a common Isle man to shake a king’s hand, but the man looked to be too starstruck to realize the audacity of his own gesture. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Oh,” Ben sounded taken aback, but of course, he was too polite of a sucker to object and shook the man’s hand, “Well, it is an honor to be here.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Personally, Harry would have had him executed.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“My family and I owe you so much. This program is absolutely wonderful and my children here will finally be able to follow their dreams. Their- <em>our</em>- lives are going to be changed for the better now because of you and your compassion as an honorable king…”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The man was still holding onto Ben’s hand as he spoke and while Ben appeared reasonably uncomfortable with the interaction, he didn't seem to make any kind of deal about the prolonged handshake. Harry wouldn't have made any deal about it either since the man just seemed like he was too captivated by being in Ben’s presence to notice what he was doing. But just like how Jay said that Harry was crazy, and therefore he was perfect for spotting other crazy people, Harry was also a thief. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">And Harry could spot a thief even easier.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The man’s wife came forward to speak, and when Ben turned to look at her, the man retracted his hand.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Thank you, Your Majesty, for all you have done for the Isle,” The man, along with his wife and two kids bowed and began to back away. Ben nodded a heartwarming thank you and watched them turn away.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"><em>‘Ben, you absolute fool,’</em> Harry thought and he rose from the chair and leapt over the table. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Harry, what-“</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Pardon me!” Harry called to the man and before he fully turned away, Harry grabbed his arm roughly and whirled him back around to face Ben. “That was quite daring of you, eh?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“What? Wha-?” The man’s eyes grew horrified. His wife and kids cowered back.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Harry, what are you doing?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Y’know,” Harry’s grip was tight on the man’s arm and he leaned so close to him he could feel him shaking, “If you’re going to steal from the King, at least don’t do it right in front of a pirate. That’s not too smart now, wouldn't you think, Ben?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I- I- I don’t know what you're talking about.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Are- Are- Are you sure?” Harry cawed in a mocking tone. Harry slipped his hand in the man’s jacket pocket and pulled out Ben’s golden wristwatch. He held it up, dangling it in front of the man’s face. At the sight of the watch, Ben’s eyes immediately widened and he pulled back his sleeve to reveal his now-bare wrist. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Sneaky, sneaky,” Harry continued to mock as the man suddenly became frantic with fear and apology. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Your Majesty, please, I swear I-“</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Aye,” Harry interrupted, “You’re going to apologize your way out of this one now? You fooled the King but ya’ ain’t gonna fool anyone else, lad. Now Ben, what kind of punishment are we thinking here?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Please, Sir! Please, my family-“</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The scene had caught the attention of the guards standing paces away and they stepped in to help control the situation. Ben was staring dumbfounded at the man and Harry, unable to answer his question.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I can take him back to my ship and throw him overboard if you like,” Harry smiled, “That would be quite fun.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“No! Please! My family is right here, you can see we are desperate. It was a wrong, dishonorable move, but it is only out of desperation. I won’t steal again, I swear on my life, please!”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Guards,” Ben called. The guards already knew what to do and took the man from Harry and awaited Ben’s next command. He seemed to be thinking deeply, and he looked back at the family, then the man and shook his head. “Escort this man and his family out of here. Make sure they don't come back around this event again.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Awe, what?” Harry watched the man get forcefully escorted away along with his family, “No execution? I could have had so much fun with that. Ben, you are too forgiving.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Ben’s eyes followed the guards as they marched through the crowd toward the outskirts of the locale and out of sight. The ordeal had happened so quickly and subtly that there was confusion among the people who were watching the man getting taken away. Mal was still deep into her interview and the camera crew was so focused on her they didn't realize anything. A few more guards came over and took over the position of controlling the crowd. Ben told them to give him a minute to get settled before letting more people come to the table.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"> Harry sighed and walked back around the table to stand beside Ben. He gave Ben a grin and extended his hand out, dangling the watch for him to take.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Wow, um…” Ben was still in disbelief, “Well I definitely wasn’t expecting for that to happen.” He took the watch from Harry’s hand and began fastening it back onto his wrist.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Aye, it’s nothin’,” Harry said, shrugging it off, “You come to the Isle and it’s only a matter of time before ya’ get robbed. But trying to steal from the King in such a public space-” Harry clicked his tongue, “Now that’s a ballsy move.” As he said it, Harry’s eyes began wandering Ben’s whole attire, and he toyed with the question if he could have done a better job of pick-pocketing the King. I mean, the man would have easily gotten away with it had it not been for Harry. So of course he could.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“How did you-…” Ben looked like he was mulling over the idea of even asking, “How did you catch that?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Stealing is my specialty, Benny,” Harry gave him a look as if the answer were obvious. After Ben remained silent, waiting for him to elaborate, Harry huffed a breath and continued, “But, technically, if you want to know for future reference… He was crossing boundaries and distracting ya’ with all his loud talking. Shaking yer’ hand too long. The wife and kids were a great touch to throw you off- if they even <em>were</em> his wife and kids.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I didn't realize there was such an art to stealing,” Ben said with a tone of distaste. His hand played with the golden watch that was now back on his wrist. “I thought people just bumped into you on the street and took your phone out of your back pocket.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Oh there absolutely is an art to it. Just ask your friend Jay. He could strip ya down to your socks by the end of a conversation with him without you noticing.” Ben’s eyes glanced over to where Jay was working, then back to Harry.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll make sure to stay a foot away when I talk to him, then.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Aye, he’s probably way out of practice anyways.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">There was an odd silence while Ben straightened out the cuff of his suit’s sleeve. Throughout their meagerly peaceful exchange, Harry noticed Ben still had trouble looking him in the eyes when they spoke. In fact, he had trouble looking anywhere in Harry’s direction longer than a few seconds. Harry didn't take offense to it, of course. He didn't care too much if Ben decided to continue to dislike him. If he never liked him it was fine, but Harry just hoped Ben would find the sense within him to realize <em>Harry</em> had nothing against <em>him</em>. No ulterior motives. No desire to take over Auradon. And especially no desire to use magic against him.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Harry would like to go back to his own comfortable life without having to worry about Ben interrupting with more made up evidence that “proved” Harry was casting spells on him. While Ben’s odd situation was amusing, he much preferred to live without the the fear of Ben snapping one day and imprisoning him. Unfortunately, Harry was not confident yet that Ben was persuaded. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Well, anyways…” Ben cleared his throat awkwardly, “Thank you. For catching that guy. Before he took off with my watch.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Can’t let your guard down around here, Benny,” Harry didn't realize until after he said it that his response probably didn't help his case any. Harry stared at Ben’s watch for a few seconds, then walked around him and sat back in the chair he had been in before.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I guess we should probably open this booth up again,” Ben said before he waved down the guard in front of the booth to let the next few people by.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Just don’t shake any hands.” Harry leaned back in the chair, kicking his feet onto the table again and receiving a side glance from Ben. After the exciting pick-pocketing scenario, Harry was going to have to find <em>something</em> to keep him from slipping back into the immense boredom of volunteering. He couldn't wander around or loiter by the snack table without Uma getting on his case, so what could he do except continue to bug the hell out of Ben?</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Absolutely <em>nothing</em>.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Harry groaned and closed his eyes.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Hey at least <em>look</em> approachable, Harry,” Mal’s voice made his eyes shoot back open. She had returned from the interviews and came back around the table to stand next to Ben. The camera crew was off to bother other people, giving Mal her chance to continue working.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Why is everyone telling me to pretend to be happy to be here?” Harry grabbed his hat and pulled it forward and over his face as if he were about to go to sleep. Within a second, the hat raised off of his face and was tossed into his lap by Mal. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Because you <em>are</em> happy to be here, because you're with your friends after years of not ever coming over to say hi,” she teased dryly. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Aye, of course,” Harry didn't know exactly how to respond. Neither one of those sounded exactly exciting, but he wasn't going to disappoint Mal by telling her that.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“So how are things going over here? Sorry I was gone for so long, those reporters wouldn't give me a second to breathe.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Well-“</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Ben got his watch stolen.” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“What?” Mal whipped around to face Ben. Ben’s face flushed with slight embarrassment.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah,” He said, shooting Harry a sarcastic “thank-you-for-telling-Mal” look, “It’s okay, I got the watch back and the guy was escorted away… luckily Harry had caught him stealing it.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“See?” Harry interjected, “I <em>am</em> actually working.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Wow, I’m sorry I missed that. Thanks, Harry.” Harry tipped his hat to Mal as Ben briefly described the rest of the story’s details to her. Harry noticed that Ben’s version of the story was mostly abridged and made Harry appear far less heroic than how he would have told it. Harry huffed a chuckle at Ben’s retelling before he reclined in the chair again and watched the two go back to busily greeting the public and taking amongst each other.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Harry kept his eye closely on the interaction between Ben and Mal. From only the last hour of being in their presence, Harry picked up on an atmosphere between the two that felt much different than the last time he had seen them. Granted, it had been two years. Anyone’s relationship would change with that amount of time. Although Harry hadn't experienced being in a committed relationship for that long, he at least understood that as time went by, any healthy relationship should <em>grow</em>. Right? Not wither. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Not like what he saw between Ben and Mal in front of him. They definitely seemed more comfortable with each other- as living with someone for so long would make anyone comfortable with the other- but it almost seemed… too comfortable. Like the only thing between them was comfort. Or routine. Harry wasn't anywhere close to an expert on love but what he saw from Ben and Mal two years ago, the way they looked at each other and the way they fought for each other, was undeniably what Harry imagined love to be.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Back then, their chemistry was almost gross. Seeing how desperately weak one of them would make the other. How gushy and vulnerable they would get at the mere sight of the other. It was gross. Endearing and innocent. But gross.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Harry didn't feel gross watching Ben and Mal interact now. There was no gushing. There was no undeniable, romantic gawking. It was just Ben and Mal. King and Queen. Doing their rightful, royal duties. Their relationship definitely wasn't growing, nor was it completely wilting. It was a pretty flower. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">It just wasn't facing the sun. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">It could be because Ben was the one that came to Harry in a mad fit about how he had trouble loving Mal, but even if he hadn't said anything Harry could obviously see the lack of chemistry came primarily from Ben. Mal would reach out to him, whether it be a subtle romantic gesture or teasing joke, and Ben would reciprocate, but not in a manner that matched Mal’s. His reciprocation appeared more methodical rather than genuine. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Like just now when there was a space of time after a small group walked away from the table to be replaced by another set of fans, Mal placed her hand on Ben’s shoulder and looked at him with clear joy to be with him. Instead of looking deep into her eyes and pulling her closer like he would do two years ago, Ben simply gave her a brief smile and put his hand around her waist. Because that’s what he was supposed to do, not what his lovestruck heart told him to do. He couldn't even look at her longer than a second. There were so many visible signs of Ben’s emotional detachment. And there were so many actions Ben could have taken to at least fake his love for her better and Harry found himself wanting to smack Ben in the head for being so obtuse about it.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">But… what did Harry know about love?</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Luckily for Ben, the booth had a constant stream of visitors which kept them for the most part too preoccupied for lovey-dovey gestures, saving him from having to continue his terrible act. There were plenty of visitors at the booth and many many more waiting to meet the King and Queen. Yet the stack of surveys on the table hadn't decreased by too much since the start of the event. Meanwhile, he saw Evie and Jay passing them out like fliers.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The visitors they had just greeted bowed to their rulers and left without picking up the fliers. Harry cleared his throat.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Are you two here to get people to actually fill these things out-“ Harry gestured toward the stack of surveys, “-or to just sign autographs and bask in all the lower-class attention?” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Both Ben and Mal narrowed their eyes at the remark, but they managed to ignore it. Mal put her hand on her waist for the brief moment that they had available to speak and said, “We would <em>like</em> to get people to fill them out, but we didn't really expect too many people to come to our booth with the full intention of learning about the program. Thats why we have the other tables and other volunteers.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Ah,” Harry nodded, grabbing one of the surveys from the table, “So <em>you two</em> are just here to be the pretty royal faces that attract everyone?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, basically,” Mal rolled her eyes with Ben. She was obviously learning it was easier to just go along with Harry’s taunts than argue them. Well, unfortunately for Mal, Harry was not going to stop taunting them until the god’s themselves came and personally cured his boredom.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Harry examined the survey packet he took.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“God this survey is dreadfully long. It’s like a novel. No wonder nobody’s interested in filling it out.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“It’s three pages, Harry,” Ben gave him an irked, yet curious glare, “What novels have you been reading?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“So far, just this survey.” Harry gave a loud, exaggerated sigh as he flipped through the pages.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“That’s actually tragic,” Ben sneered before he turned to meet the next person in line. Harry was actually quite surprised by Ben’s sudden hint of arrogance. So surprised, that he couldn't help but chuckle out loud. After all they had been through. After rescuing his watch. You would think Ben would want to make amends? Perhaps while Mal was learning to shrug off Harry’s jokes, Ben was learning to combat them. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Fine, he liked games anyways.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Harry scanned through the survey until his eyes landed on a particular question. He cleared his throat again and read it aloud for Ben to hear. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Explain how your current level of education affects your daily life,” Harry grabbed a pen from the table and tapped the end on his chin while he pretended to think. “Hey, Ben,” Harry called, to which he received Ben’s skeptical glare, “How do you spell ‘getting bullied by the king himself because I never <em>had</em> a proper level of education’? You know… because of his parents?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Ben’s lips tightened and Mal threw him a look of guilty amusement. Her expression also read “Im going to stay out of this so good luck” as she turned back to greet the next group of visitors. Ben gave a similar look to Harry, but Harry had more trouble deciphering his before he turned back to his public greetings. The corner of Harry’s lips twitched in his own amusement and he looked back at the survey.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">What were there, like thirty questions? From what Harry could see, some of them had nothing to do with an educational program.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Why would you need to know how often someone eats a proper meal?” Harry scowled as he read question number nine. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Diet is important in how receptive children are to learning.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Well your snack tables are practically gone, so that should be enough of an answer for ya’.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Ben sighed and Harry continued to read over the survey. The majority of the questions dealt with how well people knew certain subjects like math and reading and writing. Then on the second page he noticed there were questions regarding magic. Question 15: Do you have experience with magic of any kind?</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Oooh, will there be classes on how to use magic?” Harry exaggerated his interest in the question.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Maybe,” Ben muttered, “you should probably skip that class.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Oh no, I think I should definitely enroll. You know, to touch up my skills in casting spells.” Harry kept his eyes on the pages so he didn't see Ben’s expression, but he could certainly feel his glaring. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I didn't know you were interested in magic, Harry,” Mal hopped back into the conversation with genuine interest. There was a skepticism to the way she looked at Harry though, like she was curious about Harry’s involvement in magic, but she also couldn’t tell if this was just another joke.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Oh I didn't know I was interested in magic either,” Harry responded and he briefly checked Ben’s reaction, “Until just recently… And apparently I am…”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">There was a look of confusion on her face and after she seemed unable to completely decipher what Harry was going on about, she laughed and shrugged.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I never took you for a magic-kind of guy, Harry,” Mal said- which made Harry throw Ben a mockingly innocent look that said ‘<em>See</em>?’. Ben’s jaw was tightening from his inability to make a proper response to Harry while Mal went on, “But I guess it’s never too late to pick up new interests. I mean… magic isn't for everyone, but that doesn't mean everyone isn't capable of learning it.” She then returned to the next approaching visitors, leaving the two boys staring at each other awkwardly.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Well that didn't quite help Harry’s case. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I mean…” Ben glanced away from Harry’s gaze and muttered, “Clearly, just because anyone <em>could</em> learn magic doesn't mean everyone <em>should</em>.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Mal was too busy greeting the next group that she hadn't heard Ben, but Harry was more than positive the remark wasn't meant for Mal’s ears anyways. Harry couldn't decide if this game was getting more fun or more frustrating. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Maybe one more joke wouldn't hurt?</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Harry had spotted one last question on the survey which sparked his interest. He had a feeling this would more than likely tip Ben over the edge, but a pirate couldn't pass up a bar of gold sitting right in front of him.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He read the question aloud.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Question twenty-three, ‘Give an example of charity work you have done in the past month’,” Again, he tapped the end of the ballpoint pen onto his chin in fake thought, “Hey Benny-“ Harry noticed Ben’s fist clenched as he tried desperately to ignore him- “Does involuntary therapy counseling for the Auradon King count as charity work?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Ben had almost choked on his own breath when the question left Harry’s lips. His face flushed of its color and he whipped around to face Harry, ripping the survey out of his hands making the paper almost slice his skin.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Okay, I think you’re done with this survey, Harry,” Ben spoke through gritted teeth, “Why don’t you take a break- say… somewhere away from this table?” Ben leaned further toward Harry and muttered out of Mal’s earshot, “…and away from everyone <em>else</em>.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Mal’s confused expression was back on her face. She had no reason to suspect Ben of anything since- for all she knew- Harry could have been talking about anything or nothing at all. But Ben’s anxiety didn't allow him to understand that, and Harry was fully aware that making a joke about Ben’s recent endeavor to the Isle so openly would put the already unstable king into a state of outrage and more paranoia. Harry received Ben’s demand loud and clear. He stood from his chair, not drawing his eyes from Ben’s, and sighed.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Well… I’m not one to turn down the opportunity of a break,” and to where Mal could hear, Harry added, “So I guess I’ll be right around the corner then. Let me know if ya need me.” He straightened his leather coat and with Ben’s gaze still drilling holes in him, he began making his way away from the table and toward one of the ends of the venue.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s1">It wasn't long before Ben met Harry around the corner. The king had come marching up to the pirate with a level of rage that was fully expected.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“What the actual hell is wrong with you?” Ben demanded once he was in front of Harry and out of the eyes of the public.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Oh come on now, I thought you and I were really getting somewhere back there. You know, me savin’ your watch. You sayin’ thank you-“</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I asked you very politely to shut your mouth about what happened last week. That includes making stupid jokes about it too.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I thought it was great banter.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Well then maybe I didn't make my lack of amusement clear enough,” Ben’s eyes were furrowed in a frustrated anger and Harry couldn't decide if it made him want to laugh or groan in exhaustion.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Wow, Ben, you really should consider taking a step back- perhaps a deep breath- and lightening up a bit. All this stressin’ could be really bad for yer’ health.” Ben’s face glowed red and at this point the poor king was fuming. He just made it too easy for Harry.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Do you honestly think mocking me is making you look anymore innocent right now? You're really not helping your own image.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Aye, ya’ cant still truly believe I’m the one behind all yer inner turmoil can ye’?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">With Harry’s question, Ben grew silent. His face was still stained red, but the frown on his face softened slightly. He bit the inside of his lip and with a hesitant glance to the side he now gave off a sense of embarrassment. The king had spent so much energy in his accusations against Harry that it made even Harry feel some of the embarrassment for him.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Well damn, the king has officially gone mad then, hasn't he? Look, Ben. I am the last person you need to be worryin’ over. I don’t give two shits about what goes on in the castle. The only things I care about are me ship and me crew. I don’t have the time to be castin’ spells, especially not over things I have no involvement or interest in.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Ben shook his head. Harry’s reassurance wasn't strong enough to change his stubborn mind just yet. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I really wish I could trust you. But I have been spelled more than enough times to know when something isn't right. The frequent flashbacks of being on the ship and the disgusting little desires to be back on the Isle. And you. It all points to you Harry. So please, I will give you whatever you want. Money. A new ship. Anything, just confess. Tell me <em>something</em>!” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Since Ben was at the point of bargaining, Harry had little faith that trying to continue to convince Ben with words and reason would get anywhere. This wasn't the time or place to discuss something like this- for Ben’s sake. If Harry wanted to get Ben off of his back, there may only be one thing left he could do. And suddenly, Harry had a perfect idea.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He could take the bargain.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>‘I’ll tell him what he wants to hear.’</em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Harry was quiet. He was pondering Ben’s proposition with consideration. Then, he held up his hand in a defeated shrug.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Well… ya shoulda’ just started with a bargain in the first place Ben… Oh my, a new ship sounds like quite a treat. And you know a pirate always likes gold…” Harry’s fingers came to his chin and he tapped them in thought, “Okay. I give up. You win. Yes, I know what’s happening to ya’.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The look on Ben’s face made Harry wonder if he had even registered what he said.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I’m-…” Ben stuttered, blinking, “…sorry… wait… what…?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Harry tilted his head and gestured for Ben to speak.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“So…” The confusion on Ben’s face was priceless, but the confusion soon graduated to impatience, “So you <em>are</em> the one doing this to me? This whole fucking time.” He was hissing his words, like it was a struggle not to scream.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Calm down. It’s not exactly what you think. I do have information and I’ll tell ya what I know. But you have to promise me once I tell you, we go our separate ways, move on, and never speak of this again. You have to promise me you or your royal guards won’t be bothering me or my crew over this after we’re done. Ya’ hear?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Harry just tell me what the hell you have done to me!” Harry had to raise both his hands to remind Ben to chill out before he drew the attention of everyone around them. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Oh no, not here. We’ll need to meet somewhere specific for all of this to make sense. Plus we don’t want all of these snooping ears overhearin’ us,” Harry waited for Ben to suck in a breath and silently agree, “Say, when are you free, Ben?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Tomorrow. At dawn. First thing.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Aye, I’m not really a mornin’ person…”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Harry, I swear to God…”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Okay, okay. Fine. Here, I’ll write down where you can meet me,” Harry pulled out a small map that he always carried around inside his jacket pocket, “You got a pen on ya’?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Ben rolled his eyes, grunting with impatience before he reached in the inside of his suit and pulled out a fancy- most likely overpriced- ballpoint pen. Harry plucked it from his hands and unfolded the map, roughly scratching an “X” over a destination right outside of the Enchanted Lake. He then folded the map up in a small square.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Here ya’ go Ben. Your own little treasure map straight from the pirate himself. I’ll even put it in yer wallet for ya’ so you don’t forget.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Wait wha-“</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Before Ben could finish stuttering, Harry reached into his jacket and pulled out the leather wallet he had swiped off of Ben by the table. Ben began frantically searching every pocket as he gawked at Harry in disbelief. When he realized his wallet was not on him and the one in Harry’s hands was in fact his, he threw out his hand and ripped it away from Harry.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Goddammit Harry!”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Aye, Ben,” Harry gave him a teasing sneer, “You gotta stop being so accessible to thieves.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Ben shoved the wallet back into his pocket and threw his index finger at Harry.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I’m going back to work now. I don't want you anywhere near me until this curse has been dealt with.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Harry raised his eyebrows and feigned a hurtful sadness, “Oh Ben, but who is going to continue to protect and serve the mighty King from dangerous villains of the Isle?” Ben’s face was twisted with agitation and he worked to straighten out his suit as he prepared to go back into the eyes of the public. He combed his fingers through his hair a couple times and fixed the crown on his head.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Honestly, Harry,” He gave him one last distasteful look, “You’re the only villain I see here.” He shook his head and walked off in the direction he had come and Harry watched him go with an odd feeling in his stomach.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">If Harry wasn't so charmed by Ben’s delirium… those words would have almost stung.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Something in the Water</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>'This is getting ridiculous.'</em>
</p><p>Ben gripped the map in his hands, his eyes glued on the messy 'X' Harry had written on the delicate paper. Ben was there. He was in the exact spot that the 'X' was marked on the map.</p><p>Yet there was no pirate in sight.</p><p>Ben couldn't stop staring at the 'X'. Double. Triple. Quadruple-checking it to make sure this was the right spot. Over and over again, his verification became as obsessive as his need to resolve this curse issue. He was exactly where Harry told him to be and the sun was already high in the air. Dawn passed long ago and Ben was just about sick of waiting. His right heel tapped relentlessly on the forest ground and he shoved his face into his hands, slouching forward on the rock he was sitting on.</p><p>
  <em>'Can't trust a damn pirate, I guess.' </em>
</p><p>Ben was already giving up on Harry showing his face. There was no resolving this issue. Ben would live the rest of his life suffering under a spell. Although Ben internally gave up on the hope that Harry would show, he still refused to stand up from the rock and return to the castle. He wanted to stay right here and die. He would lie down on the dirt ground, go to sleep, and never wake up.</p><p>That sounded perfect.</p><p>"Well good morning, Your Majesty."</p><p>The familiar sneering voice had Ben throwing himself up off the rock and spinning to face the approacher.</p><p>"Harry, what the <em>FUCK</em>? Where the hell have you <em>been</em>?"</p><p>"Aye, whaddaya mean? I've been heading over to meet ya here."</p><p>"I told you to meet me here at dawn. Fucking dawn. Its been two fucking hours since then, Harry!"</p><p>"Oh well I was polishin' me hook," Harry proudly held up his sparkling hook, analyzing every centimeter of it. Meanwhile, Ben was fuming. His entire body was rigid with disbelief and hot with rage.</p><p>"For. Two. Fucking. <em>Hours</em>?"</p><p>"Aye, me pocket watch broke and I was just so focused I must've lost track of time."</p><p>Ben's mouth hung wide open, unable to form an appropriate reaction to the pirate's account.</p><p>"Is this a fucking joke? I've been sitting here waiting-... you know what... never mind," Ben pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt his anxiety racing up his stomach to his chest, "Lets just... get this over with. I don't have all day. Spill <em>everything</em>."</p><p>"Okay well first, you should follow me," Harry gestured off down the path in a direction that would take them further into the forest.</p><p>"No, are you kidding?" Ben's impatience was well above breaking point, "You can tell me right here."</p><p>"I actually can't... Just trust me Ben." Harry gave him pleading eyes and folded his hands to beg.</p><p>"<em>Trust</em> you? I couldn't even trust you to tell the time and you expect me to trust-"</p><p>"Ben, just shut up and follow me. All of this will be over very shortly."</p><p>"That sounds like you're going to kill me," Ben frowned at Harry and Harry raised an eyebrow and pondered that.</p><p>"Oh well I guess that is an enticing option..." He sang as he began walking off in the direction he gestured toward.</p><p>"Christ, Harry... Just-..." Ben was going to argue further, but Harry ignored him and kept walking. Ben's desperation left him with only the ability to hold it in and follow.</p><p>He made sure to maintain a solid distance of a couple paces behind Harry throughout the trek. Yes, they were on a well known pathway, but being so far away from the castle with no one around but a pirate who has proven himself many times over to be villainous, it only made sense to be on extra alert.</p><p>Ben still had a difficult time processing everything that had happened between him and Harry within the last several days. His overly witty and sarcastic taunts drove Ben closer to insanity- closer than he already was prior- and Ben was more than ready to get this ordeal figured out and put behind him. Even if it cost a brand new ship or a pile of gold which he had bargained with, it was more than worth it to break this curse and have everything return back to the way it had been before. Back when he could feel every bit of love for Mal that he knew he still held somewhere deep within him.</p><p>He could go back to being a proper king.</p><p>Ben's anticipation grew with every step he took.</p><p>Wait.</p><p>Ben knew this area very well and the path they were taking sparked his recognition. The shrubbery and trees lining the edge of the pathway began to open up. Hundreds of flowers of all kinds of colors began popping up around them and the scenery became magical. Just a few yards ahead of them, the pathway ended in a drop down, and not too far below them there was a body of water that reflected the morning sunlight like sparkling fragments dancing on the surface. Across the small lake stood a large stone platform of old ruins that stretched over the center of the body of water.</p><p>Harry had brought him to the Enchanted Lake.</p><p>Ben came to a stop, but Harry had continued to stroll toward the small cliff's edge. He swayed to the far peak, his neck craning in different directions to admire the area around him, before turning to face Ben.</p><p>"Well come on Benny, join me in front of this beautiful water."</p><p>Ben was puzzled and hesitated at first, but he huffed a groan and made his way to join Harry. He had seen the Enchanted Lake a thousand times, so there was no need for him to waste time admiring the setting like Harry was doing. When Ben came to a stop in front of Harry, he cleared his throat impatiently.</p><p>"Ok great.. So can you start talking now? Why are we here?"</p><p>"Oh I just thought it would be a cute little place to discuss everything. Y'know, might as well have some good scenery around us."</p><p>At this point, Ben didn't know why he was still shocked by Harry's consistent unreliability. This entire situation was nothing more than a game to him. A game that Ben was losing terribly. Ben brought his fingers to his forehead.</p><p>"...Do you even have information for me or have you just been toying with me this entire time?"</p><p>"Oh I've been toying with ya' as much as you've been letting me Ben... But... I actually do believe I have information that can help you resolve this situation."</p><p>"What <em>is it</em>? Just tell me already!"</p><p>"Okay, okay." Harry gestured him to come closer. Ben rolled his eyes, but at this point, going along with Harry- even if it was all nonsense- was a step closer to having all of this resolved. He stood beside Harry, less than a foot away from the edge of the cliff and watched as Harry brought up his hook and pointed it down to the center of the lake.</p><p>"You see that rock there, Ben?"</p><p>"There's at least a thousand different rocks you could be pointing at," Ben muttered, scanning the clear water.</p><p>"Look closer," Harry insisted, "It's right there at the bottom of the lake."</p><p>Ben tried his best to pick out a rock that looked any different from the others. What was Harry going on about? What did a rock have to do with this curse? Frustration began building up again as Ben was still so lost as to what he was supposed to be seeing. He stretched out his neck and squinted his eyes.</p><p>He leaned further.</p><p>A force pressed into his back and the earth around him was jolted backwards as his body was suddenly thrown forward. His feet were no longer pressed firmly onto the ground and within the blink of an eye he went from standing to falling straight toward the water below him.</p><p>"AGH-" Ben hit the surface of the lake and water filled his nose and mouth before he could even finish screaming at the shock of falling. He was then under the water, blinded by the millions of bubbles surrounding him from the impact, and his body writhed and squirmed to regain balance.</p><p>His feet finally found the rough rocky floor of the lake and he pushed his body upwards, holding his breath to keep more water from entering his now burning lungs. Ben resurfaced alas, his head appearing back above the water to gasp for oxygen. He shook the water out of his face and hair, brushing his hands over his eyes frantically. When he could open them fully again, he found himself looking back up at the cliff he had been standing at the top of merely seconds ago.</p><p>Harry stood proudly at the edge, looking down at Ben like he was studying a piece of art he had just created.</p><p>"GOD<em>DAMMIT</em> HARRY!" Ben's face tightened as it twisted in a rage. His arms treaded the top of the water while the tips of his now wet shoes struggled to barely touch the ground. His whole attire was now submerged in the water and possibly ruined. What would his mother Belle say when she saw him walk through the doors of the castle now? Ben's body began shaking, but it wasn't from the cold water.</p><p>"THIS SUIT IS REALLY <em>FUCKING</em> EXPENSIVE!" His heart was pounding, his jaw was clenched, and his anger was building. And building.</p><p>And building.</p><p>Harry leaned over the cliff to stare down at Ben. The same stupid expression he held was still there and he cocked an eyebrow at Ben's treading body.</p><p>"How do you feel, Ben?" Was all Harry asked. Ben's mouth gaped in astonishment. This pirate had <em>pushed</em> him off the cliff. He <em>assaulted</em> the King! And he had the audacity to ask how he was <em>feeling</em>?</p><p>With one push, Harry had broken the camel's back.</p><p>The rage overcame Ben like a flood bursting through a levee.</p><p>"How do I FEEL?" Ben shouted at him, his heart rate racing, "I feel like I'm losing my SHIT! Everything is SHIT! I wake up every morning next to a girl I once devoted my entire heart to and I can't even tell her I love her without it sounding like a lie! I have to force myself to hold her and kiss her because for some reason that I can't figure out, I have no desire to do that anymore! I've been engaged for two fucking years now because every time I so much as <em>think</em> about a wedding something inside me feels sick! I have everything most people would kill to have and I can't even be happy or grateful for it! I live in a castle, I have a beautiful and smart fiancée and wonderful friends! I have an entire fucking kingdom! And inside I'm completely fucking EMPTY! I'm supposed to be the King of Auradon and I can't even concentrate on a single important damn thing going on around me!"</p><p>Ben's fingers grasped at his hair in a desperate attempt to redirect his oncoming headache. He sucked in a breath, his body still shaking and stiff. The levee was broken, but the flood kept coming. He was no longer speaking directly to Harry.</p><p>"My life has been laid out in front of me from day one. Everything that I needed to succeed has been given to me so why do I feel like I'm so lost and completely falling apart? Is it because my future has been set in stone my entire life, and because I've been expected to do everything by my parents' book that I never even got the chance to figure out what <em>I</em> like and what <em>I</em> want? I can't remember a time I wasn't living for someone else! I was with Audrey since the moment I could remember and the only reason I got away from that was because I was spelled into loving Mal! And I'm not even sure if I ever really did love her and that fucking terrifies me! And now I'm stuck in this life I'm not even sure I belong in because I don't even know who I am, and the worst part about that is that it doesn't even matter! Could you imagine if my father heard me right now? He would be so fucking disappointed in me! Him and my mom! I'm not even <em>allowed</em> to prioritize anything I want because if I do I can't be a good King! And if I can't be a good King I can't be a good son! And I'm so fucking alone because the second I talk to anyone close to me about this I'm <em>done</em> for!"</p><p>Ben looked back up at Harry- who had stayed oddly still- and said:</p><p>"So you ask me how I FEEL, Harry? I feel lost and I feel ashamed of myself! I feel fucking <em>hopeless</em>!"</p><p>There was an echo after that last word which left even the singing birds silent. Harry was watching Ben with a different expression now and each passing second that Ben stared back at Harry, the flood inside of him began to wane away. It was like he had been trapped inside of his own state of delirium, intoxicated by rage, and he was finally coming back down.</p><p>Back to Earth.</p><p>And the second he touched ground, he realized what he had just unleashed.</p><p>Ben's chest was aching and he couldn't tell if it was from how physically tired he suddenly became from his meltdown, or if it was from embarrassment. He looked back down at the water he was still treading on and closed his eyes tightly.</p><p>Perhaps it was both.</p><p>After what felt like minutes of waiting, Harry cocked his head and finally spoke.</p><p>"Wow," He stared another couple of seconds before raising his eyebrows, "Well color me impressed Ben, you've got quite the mouth of a sailor on ya'. Never heard any pirate swear as much as you have today."</p><p>He should have been shocked and irritated by Harry's inability to sympathize with anything he had just screamed but in some weird, inexplicable way, Ben was actually comforted by his typical, lackadaisical response. All of the shock and irritation he could have felt had been wiped from his body along with the flood. Ben exhaled another breath of tired emotion and shook his head at Harry. Harry cleared his throat but his voice came out as smooth as butter.</p><p>"But, to be real with you, Ben," He looked him up and down, "I don't think this is a curse.  Well I never thought it was, but still. This water breaks all spells, doesn't it?"</p><p>"Y- yes," Ben's voice croaked; his throat was sore from the shouting.</p><p>"Okay well there ya' go," He gestured down at him, "You're in this magical water right now and you feel the exact same way as you did when you were up here with me... I would even argue that you're a bit angrier in the water," Harry shrugged unapologetically, "So, whatever is going on, Ben... it's not a spell."</p><p>"I-..." Ben was so tired and so overwhelmed by his emotions he couldn't speak. Harry continued, answering him before he managed to reply.</p><p>"And, to even prove to you I've got no evil magic on me..."</p><p>Ben looked up to see Harry holding his hands out to the side, presenting his body with a mockingly elegant pose. Before Ben could react, Harry leapt off the cliff to join him below. Harry's journey from the edge of the cliff to the water was far more graceful than Ben's had been- but then again, Ben wasn't exactly prepared for his own jump.</p><p>Harry landed a few feet in front of him and Ben struggled to swim backwards to evade the wave of water that came splashing over him when Harry plunged in. For a few seconds, Ben could only see Harry's pirate hat floating above the surface of all the white bubbly foam his splash created, but it wasn't before long that the water cleared up again and his form resurfaced. He shook his head, throwing the water that was soaked into his black hair in all directions around him. He reached out to grab his hat from floating off and placed it back onto his wet head. He looked back at Ben and couldn't withhold his crazy chuckle. It was like doing the most wild and impulsive things brought him the most joy.</p><p>"Still think I'm cursing ya' now, Ben?" He treaded the water with ease, his height allowing him to fully stand on lake's floor, "I wouldn'ta' messed up me sexy eyeliner for just the fun of it."</p><p>Maybe Ben was just exhausted, but there was something a lot more sincere about Harry's demeanor. Or maybe it was the crushing, overwhelming revelation of Ben's own conflict that left him too stunned to process any animosity from Harry. He had swam in the Enchanted Lake several times within the last few years- not with the intention of washing away this curse, because he hadn't considered it to be a curse until merely a week ago- but he had definitely been in this water. Subconsciously, he had shrugged it off though, since he considered each time he left the water he could have just been cursed again. But now sitting here in the water with Harry in front of him, it was like there was nothing else left to scream in his ear to wake up and realize there was no evil magic. He wouldn't be sitting in this water still suffering in his emotional agony if it were dark magic causing this.</p><p>And Harry wouldn't be right here with him if he were the one casting it.</p><p>He now just felt stupid and embarrassed. And he still so very much wanted to carry on believing it was all a curse. His stomach twisted in sickness.</p><p>"I-... I don't know what to say," Ben managed to whisper.</p><p>"You can start by saying sorry for making this poor pirate's week so chaotic. Actually, no it's been pretty entertaining, I'll give ya' that."</p><p>"I mean, I did kind of threaten you," Ben remembered aloud, his face flushing of its color, "And I'm not saying you <em>haven't</em> been a dick to me, but I've definitely been a bit of a dick to you. So yeah, I'm... sorry for that."</p><p>"Do you still believe you're being cursed?" Harry appeared genuinely curious.</p><p>"I..." Again, Ben had a difficult time answering, but Harry interrupted him anyways.</p><p>"Well I really don't care if you think its a curse or not, just as long as you don't still think <em>I'm</em> the one cursing ya'."</p><p>Ben sucked in a breath, "I don't," he said. There wasn't one reason at this moment in time that would make Harry the logical culprit. But, that didn't mean Ben's doubts all just completely vanished. Hitting the water was like hitting a wall of reason and Ben still needed a few more minutes to process that. Yes, Harry couldn't be the one cursing him- and deep inside he saw how ridiculous that was- but that meant his biggest issue was still left unresolved. Why had Harry and the ship and the Isle stayed in his mind for two years? Why did he stay awake at night picturing himself back there?</p><p>Why was Mal not at the front of his mind like she should be?</p><p>A curse made sense, but then everything he had just let loose a few minutes earlier could not possibly add up to a curse. What curse could create the issues Ben had screamed aloud to Harry? Where did those issues even come from? Not only had hitting this water brought a wall of reasoning to Ben, but it had also apparently bursted a bubble of a hundred other struggles Ben held deeply within him.</p><p>This. Wasn't. A. Curse.</p><p>But if this wasn't a curse that Ben could wash away with a splash of enchanted water... then what was he supposed to do to cure himself?</p><p>Ben shoved his face in his hands for a moment, then he huffed in defeat.</p><p>"I need a drink," Ben said in only a half-joking manner. Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise.</p><p>"Oh my, are ya sure you don't just have an internal calling to be a pirate? The swearin'. The drinkin'. I mean you said it yourself you can't stop thinking about being on the ship," Harry tilted his head, like he was trying to get a better look at Ben, and clicked his tongue, "Just throw away your crown, Ben. The pirate hat looked better on ya' anyways."</p><p>Ben looked back at Harry, who gave him a light, yet charming smile and internally, Ben felt a bit of his heavy despair lift. For the first time, Ben actually found himself chuckling aloud at one of Harry's jokes. He managed to crack a grin back.</p><p>"You think so?"</p><p>"Oh most definitely."</p><p>Ben wasn't going to tell Harry how close he actually came to answering his own internal question. Running away to become a pirate was ridiculous and Ben didn't think he truly wanted to do that, but it didn't hurt to humor himself with the mental image. The smile on Ben's face started drifting away when his thoughts brought him back to the reality of the present. Auradon. Mal. Being the perfect king.<br/>He wanted all of that too.</p><p>But why did he feel so locked away?</p><p>He shook his head again, "I'm really sorry for dumping all of this on you, Harry. Thanks for not being- you know- weird about it all. I've never actually said any of that to anyone before so..."</p><p>"It sounds like you haven't said it even to yourself."<br/>Ben was silent for a moment and he couldn't figure out how to tell Harry how right he was.</p><p>"To be upfront withya', you've got quite the collection of issues you need to face. And I don't think your feelings regarding Mal are the biggest of those issues."</p><p>"What am I supposed to do?" Ben never in his life thought he'd be asking that to a pirate. <em>Harry Hook</em> of all people. But everything was all out on the table now and he couldn't just go back to the castle and keep pretending everything was normal.</p><p>"Well I'm no expert," Harry narrowed his eyes as he studied Ben's face, "And I certainly have never bottled things up to the point you clearly have. But I'll tell ya that if I ever question my own feelings about something, I drop it and just do whatever the hell I want to at the moment. Y'know, whatever feels right."</p><p>"I can't just run around like a pirate being carefree about everything though, Harry. I have a responsibility to the kingdom."</p><p>"I'm not saying you should run around being carefree," Harry frowned, "Just be honest with yourself. You're already King, what are they going to do? Take the crown from you for having emotions? You could quite literally have their heads cut off at the snap of your fingers for even considering it."</p><p>"I see your point, but I'm not cutting any heads off."</p><p>Harry shrugged in consideration, "You never know, it may be just the right kind of therapy you need."</p><p>Again, Ben found himself chuckling.</p><p>"You're a king, not a god. You're not better than all of us just because you wear a crown and you certainly aren't indestructible. You said it yerself, you've had everything written out for ya' since you were born and you've done everything as if it were a clear step-by-step process. Now you're actually facing a problem that can't be solved by your parent's book and you have no idea how to face it. Because it's not black or white. So you think it's a curse because all of these emotions are just now catching up and hitting you at once. Just like the love spells."</p><p>Ben could only manage to stand there in the water blinking at Harry as he spoke. The muscles in his chest grew tighter with each of his words and he found himself unable to take his eyes off of Harry.</p><p>"You say you've had enough spells casted on ya' that you know when its been done again. But honestly, Ben, I don't think you're good at recognizing when you're spelled. I think you're just really bad at recognizing your own real feelings when they hit ya'."</p><p>There was a silence in the air after Harry stopped speaking and Ben waited a few moments as if he expected him- or even <em>wanted</em> him- to keep talking. He looked down at his own hands under the surface of the water, his fingers were curling into light fists and he found himself growing weaker, which he didn't think was from treading the water.</p><p>"Wow," Ben said at last, "I didn't realize you were so emotionally in-touch."</p><p>"Oh I think I'd say I'm the most emotionally in-touch person you'll find out here, Ben," He laughed, "I may not have had the best education growing up on the Isle, but you can bet I've learned as much as I can about people growing up alone on the streets. And you're not going to find me hiding any emotions, either."</p><p>There was something about his words that stung Ben, but he didn't mention it.</p><p>"Well, thank you," Ben continued, "You're right, I think all of these spells have made me lose touch with what's actually real. And it doesn't help that all the times I've been spelled have been by women I thought I loved. I'm not even sure if I would have ever loved Mal had she not spelled me, and that's scary. Then Uma- which was a strange one- but for that short moment I really thought I loved her. Then Audrey, who never used a love spell, but she did curse me to <em>not</em> be loved."</p><p>Ben's thoughts lingered on Audrey. They had grown up together and had been together longer than he could remember. He didn't think he ever loved her in the romantic way he should have, but he did consider her to be the one person around that was closest to him. Someone he thought he could trust. He spoke aloud.</p><p>"God, I just can't believe she could do that to me. I know I treated her terribly and I made a huge mistake, but still... <em>Cursing</em> me like that..."</p><p>Harry had been watching Ben closely and Ben noticed him shake his head and huff in agreement.</p><p>"Yeah, ex's can be shit sometimes. I've definitely made a few mistakes and broken some hearts. But the last ex that tried to get back at me like that... I made him walk the plank." He grinned and looked off to the left in remembrance.</p><p>Wait.</p><p>Ben froze for a second before he tilted his head in a sudden desire for clarification.</p><p>"Wait, what?"</p><p>Harry laughed and rolled his eyes, "I'm just messing with ya'."</p><p>"Oh?"</p><p>"Yeah I didn't really make him walk the plank, we're actually on quite friendly terms now."</p><p>"That's not-... did you say '<em>him</em>'?"</p><p>"Aye, me last partner," Harry's eyes narrowed slightly and the corner of his mouth started to rise in a confused, but also humored grin. Like he fully picked up on Ben's sudden change in behavior. Ben coughed awkwardly.</p><p>"I thought you-..." Was there an appropriate way to ask this? Harry was beckoning him with his eyes to continue speaking, but when it was obvious Ben was struggling too much to formulate his question, Harry cut in for him.</p><p>"Yes my last partner was a man, Ben... I date men..." His sentence ended in a chuckle and he checked over Ben's face as if he were making sure he understood.</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"...<em>And</em> women. No discrimination here," He held his hands outward.</p><p>"So. You're... bisexual?" Ben was so careful in the way he spoke it felt like he was answering the final question on a game show. As if getting the question wrong would be disastrous. Why was he suddenly unable to form words? Was this rude? Was Ben being a terrible person by stuttering the way he was? He was suddenly hyper aware of every little movement he made.</p><p>"Sure," Harry shrugged, "I just thought, y'know, with a face like this, it would only be fair if everyone had the chance to get a piece."</p><p>Was he joking? That was a joke right?</p><p>Yes, of course it was.</p><p>Ben gave an obviously forced laugh. God, why was he acting so weird? His shoe that barely touched the lake ground slipped slightly and to keep himself from swaying forward toward Harry, he pushed his hands in the water to move his body backwards and back into balance.</p><p>Wait, did that look like Ben was trying to move away from him? Oh no. Ben forced himself to keep talking to avoid acknowledging what he just did.</p><p>"Since when?" He asked.</p><p>"<em>Really</em>?" Harry gave him a dismayed look, "Since <em>forever</em>, Dipshit."</p><p>"Oh God, that's not what I meant! No, like..." Ben searched desperately for the correct question.</p><p>"When did I <em>realize</em>?"</p><p>"Yes. Yes. That's what I meant." Ben was completely embarrassed, but he was very much comforted by the fact that Harry didn't actually seem offended or bothered by his inappropriate responses. Harry shrugged again.</p><p>"Honestly it's not something I one day realized. I never put much thought into it either. I just did whatever I wanted and let myself feel whatever I felt. Like I said before, you're not gonna catch me hidin' anything." He cracked another small grin.</p><p>"Oh well that's great, Harry. I'm happy for you." Was that too generic? Did he sound too disingenuous?</p><p>"Alas, I have gotten the approval of the Auradon king!" Harry's fist came to the air in victory, the water splashing onto Ben. Maybe it <em>had</em> come out too disingenuous. Jesus, how was Ben supposed to fix this? He now just felt like an idiot and he couldn't understand why he had begun acting so awkwardly about Harry's revelation. It's not like it was a big deal? Right? He was still just Harry.</p><p>How could he fix this? Maybe a joke to make sure Harry knew Ben was cool with it? Harry liked jokes.</p><p>"Well yeah, I fully support you, Harry. You know- just keep that hook to yourself, you know I'm spoken for," It was only right after he said it that Ben realized he took the hole he had dug himself and just made it ten times deeper. He almost immediately regretted the joke, realizing how offensive that may have actually sounded.</p><p>Why did he <em>need</em> to make sure Harry knew he was okay with it? He would only need to do that if he genuinely wasn't okay with it. But Ben was wasn't he? Surely nothing he had said or done so far indicated he was truly laid-back about it. Maybe it was best if he just shut up now before he continued acting like an ignorant idiot in front of Harry.</p><p>Luckily Harry had just laughed and shook his head. As nonsensical as Ben was being, Harry remained impressively unbothered. He cocked his head to the side.</p><p>"Oh, so you're sayin' if you weren't spoken for, you'd be up for me, then?"</p><p>"What- no no... I didn't mean that-"</p><p>"Aye, relax Ben, I know what ya' meant. I'm messin' with ya," Harry kept his pale eyes on Ben with an understanding, but also teasing grin. The black around his eyes had spread from the water and was dripping down to his cheekbones. It made his eyes sharper.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Harry," Ben sighed, "I'm not making any sense and honestly I don't really know how to say what I should say properly."</p><p>"You Auradon people are so uptight. And quite sheltered. Don't worry about it Ben, I understand. And honestly it would take a lot more than your uncomfortable stuttering to offend me. I've always been who I am and I've always fully accepted it. It's not a big deal."</p><p>"Okay," Ben sighed and shook his head. He noticed the rest of his body had begun shivering and he looked off toward the ruins on the other end of the lake. He turned back to Harry, but before he could speak, Harry had already read his mind.</p><p>"Let's get out of this damned lake now. I think we've resolved what we needed to resolve."</p><p>"Of course," Ben agreed and Harry began leading the way toward the stone platform. He kicked off with his feet and pushed through the water, his arms and legs working in a slow and steady flow to glide forward. Ben kicked off to follow him and the two swam toward the platform together.</p><p>The water soon became shallow enough to walk and they reached the stone ruins at the same time, hopping out of the lake and onto the platform to be in the dry air and sunny sky. Ben wished more than anything for a towel and a change of clothes. He was irked by how drenched his body was and how he was going to have to lie to everyone back at the castle again as to why he was soaking wet, but he wasn't really mad at Harry for pushing him into the lake anymore. How could he be?</p><p>He looked back at Harry who was working to take off his drenched leather jacket. He placed it over a rock in the sun, then moved onto his shirt, sliding the wet battered clothes over his head to expose his bare chest. His hands worked to ring as much of the water out as he could before he brought the shirt to his face and wiped away some of the dripping makeup under his eyes. He tossed the shirt at the rock to let it join his jacket.</p><p>Harry had always worn baggy, ill-fitted clothes— as did most people at the Isle— so seeing Harry so bare and without all of his pirate accessories was like seeing a completely different person. And Ben had never noticed before that moment just how fit Harry was. I mean, he knew he was a fit guy, but he didn't realize he was so... sculpted. Every one of his muscles were defined from his abdomen all the way up to his broad chest and shoulders. It was almost intimidating.</p><p>Ben wasn't exactly insecure standing next to him. He had his fair share of muscle mass to him and played enough sports that he was fit himself— but it was nothing like Harry and it was hard for him to rip off his shirt with the same level of confidence as him.</p><p>Ben slid off his blue blazer and placed it on his own rock to dry. He pulled his tie loose and slid it over his head, then reached for the buttons to his collared shirt, hesitant at first to even undo them, but his desperation for his clothes to dry quickly overpowered his reluctance to expose himself. One by one, each button came undone and he was soon also bare-chested. He laid his white shirt beside the blazer, praying that they would both dry as quickly as possible so he could get them back onto his body.</p><p>A few feet away, Harry stood leaning against one of the stone pillars deeply focused on his hook, rubbing his thumb against the shine of the metal like he was polishing it by hand. It was difficult deciding whether or not he was genuinely invested in cleaning off the dirt on his hook, or if he was pretending to be focused on it to avoid speaking further to Ben. Either way, Ben felt awkward just standing there watching him. He had to say <em>something</em>.</p><p>"Hey, um. I wanted to ask you something," Ben started to say nervously. Harry picked his head up as if he had completely forgotten Ben was standing there.</p><p>"If this is about your relationship again, I'm going to start charging ya' by the hour," Harry looked back down at his hook and continued to work on it.</p><p>"No, it's actually not this time," He glanced to the side, "I actually don't really want to think about that for the rest of the day. But anyways, it's about something you said earlier. You said that people here in Auradon are... uptight, when we were talking about you liking... men. Do you actually believe that?"</p><p>"Oh absolutely. Uptight and sheltered... and boring. I've never hid how I felt about Auradon."</p><p>Had Harry momentarily forgotten he was speaking to the king of the place he talked so negatively about? Ben frowned, but he tried his hardest not to take offense.</p><p>"Is that why you refuse to come over here? Why you chose to live in the Isle instead of taking our offer to live in our kingdom for free? 'Cause you thought people here wouldn't accept you?"</p><p>Harry drew his attention away from his hook again and he stared ahead blankly for a few moments before looking back at Ben.</p><p>"I mean, that's only a fraction of my reasons."</p><p>"So then, what are your reasons?" The question made Harry huff as if the answer were obvious. He squinted an eye like he was about to say something sarcastic but he ended up just shrugging.</p><p>"This place just isn't me, whereas the Isle is and it's all I've known my entire life. At the Isle I'm on top of the world. Why would I leave that to prance around a pretentious city where all I am is just some poor villain kid?"</p><p>The answer wasn't exactly what Ben had hoped to receive and it bothered him to hear that was what Harry thought of Auradon.</p><p>"They wouldn't think of you like that," Ben insisted, which made Harry's stare intensify. He huffed again, but this time in amusement.</p><p>"You did."</p><p>The realization had ripped Ben of any words. He had in fact called Harry a villain himself and not only that, but he hadn't even needed to say the word villain to villainize him. The past week had been an obsession with the idea that Harry was a villain and therefore a sensible culprit for cursing the King. Denying his own bigotry at this point would be a flat out lie. How could Ben argue that Auradon was a welcoming, open-minded community when their own King was the epitome of what Harry described?</p><p>"I..." He couldn't deny it. He sighed, "You're right. I did."</p><p>"I'll give ya' a pass for being a bit out of your mind the last several days. But I still don't think I need to further prove my point about Auradon."</p><p>"I don't actually think you're a villain, Harry. I mean, at least not anymore."</p><p>"Oh what? You find out I've dated men and suddenly ya' can't condemn me anymore?" He teased. Ben narrowed his eyes.</p><p>"Oh no, I think you're a dick regardless of your sexual orientation," Ben teased back, to which Harry fortunately laughed. "But you clearly aren't a <em>villain</em>. I mean, you wouldn't still be here talking to me right now if you were a bad, selfish person. Auradon has welcomed so many people from the Isle. Including my own fiancée. And her friends. And Uma too. I don't think you'd be any different."</p><p>"I don't think my adjustment to this type of life would go over very well." Harry had been pressing his thumb into the tip of his hook hard enough to almost break skin and Ben wondered if he even noticed. "It's more than just being welcomed over here. I can't imagine the agony of pretending to be okay surrounded by so many stuck up people who didn't give two shits about me when the walls were up. It's plain and simple. I don't like it here."</p><p>"I'm sorry you think that way and I wish I could change your mind. We really aren't bad people. In fact, I think they would actually really appreciate having you here, I mean you did help save the entire kingdom from Audrey. And you fought so hard with Uma to take the walls down." Harry's jaw clenched and relaxed as Ben spoke. Ben furrowed his eyebrows in question. "Why did you fight so hard for Auradon and bringing the barrier down if you were just going to stay in the Isle? You were so upset when you thought Mal was closing the barrier for good, I had thought you really wanted to live here."</p><p>Harry had finally taken his thumb off the hook and brought his hand into a fist.</p><p>"I didn't fight for the barrier to be brought down so that I could live here. I never wanted to live here. I just wanted the ability to go wherever I felt. Y'know, to see everything on the outside and sail the seas like my father did. I'm sorry if it's too difficult to fathom the idea that someone just isn't fit to live in Auradon, Benny."</p><p>"No, it's not like that."</p><p>Except it was.</p><p>It <em>was</em> too difficult for Ben to understand why someone would want to live in a place everyone else so adamantly claimed was terrible. Yes, Uma lived there, but she also did so because she took the responsibility of governing the Isle and helping the people. And she commuted frequently enough that she was every bit an Auradon citizen as anyone that lived there full time. And at least she was able to see the good in everyone that lived there.</p><p>Harry just didn't want or care to even bother opening his mind to Auradon. It wasn't so much that Ben was offended for his people, he just really wanted everyone to have the chance to see this beautiful place. Maybe opening himself up to it could allow Harry to discover a world that could make his own life better? Maybe if he saw Auradon wasn't as bad as he thought it was, he could get the same opportunities as everyone else? And he could pave the way for others that were too scared to make the move to the Isle.</p><p>Suddenly the answer was right in front of Ben's face.</p><p>Ben's inability to get the Isle and the ship and Harry out of his head. That indescribable, nagging feeling within him every time he thought about it. This whole time. It wasn't a curse. It wasn't a desire to go live life like a pirate.</p><p>Maybe Ben just couldn't bare to live his comfortable life knowing there were still people out there who were unable to be integrated into Auradon. And maybe all of the dissatisfaction started with Harry. He wasn't going to <em>force</em> the matter, but Ben would be sure to at least try to convince Harry that Auradon really was a great place and could provide great opportunities.</p><p>"Look, I get it if you don't want to live here," Ben said, "But... I don't think it's fair to just write Auradon off as some uptight and pretentious place. I know your friends here miss you. I don't know, I think you should give it a chance, you might end up really liking it here."</p><p>Harry groaned and looked off to the side. He thought about it for a moment.</p><p>"I would be willing to bet you're wrong."</p><p>"Well," Ben said, coming up with his proposition, "A couple weeks from now is the anniversary of the Barrier being brought down. You know we have the Unity Ball every year, which you <em>never</em> go to..."</p><p>Harry met Ben's eyes, but he looked far from apologetic. He also seemed to know exactly where Ben was getting at and the tension in his eyebrows said he was not going to agree. Ben still continued.</p><p>"I think you should go. You were a big part in bringing down the barrier."</p><p>"Ben," Harry's posture collapsed like he was sick of the topic, "Uma can't even convince me to go. I don't think you'll have any better luck."</p><p>"Come on. This one is expected to be far bigger and better than the last two years. We expect a much bigger turn out."</p><p>"You lost me at bigger turnout."</p><p>"Harry, come on."</p><p>"I'm sorry but dances and formal parties just aren't my thing. It's going to be a no. I'm a pirate, not a princess," He waved his hand off at the word princess and Ben couldn't hold back a laugh at Harry's reluctance.</p><p>"Well," Ben gave an exaggerated sigh, "If you do decide to go- which you should- the doors will be open. And I'll even guarantee you'll have a great time."</p><p>"Oh my, I think my clothes are suddenly dry now!" Harry got up, making his way over to his still-damp clothes, "My, my, I guess there's nothing keeping me here stuck in this boring conversation anymore."</p><p>Ben rolled his eyes but internally he was humored by Harry's ridiculous attitude toward the idea of attending the ball. He knew there was no forcing Harry into going, but if introducing him into Auradon was going to resolve Ben's deep, internal struggle, then maybe Ben just had to be as equally stubborn as Harry. Maybe even more.</p><p>"Well, Ben, I guess I should be on my way," Harry was putting his half-dried shirt back on, the dampness making it difficult for him to get it past his wide chest with ease, "It was a pleasure throwing you off the cliff and I sincerely hope we won't have to meet again now that you've learned you're not cursed."</p><p>"Okay, fine then," Ben had his eyes narrowed, watching the pirate rush to escape the pressure of being invited to the ball. Harry put his leather jacket back on and then grabbed for his hat and his hook. A slight smile began forming on Ben's mouth.</p><p>"I'll see you at the Unity Ball, then?" Ben asked, to which Harry turned to face him while taking steps backwards in an effort to leave.</p><p>"Fat chance, Your Majesty," Harry lifted his hook to tip his hat downward with regards. He gave Ben a smirk and a wink before twirling around and carrying off toward the pathway they had arrived from. Ben watched him leave, a weird knot forming in his chest at Harry's wink.</p><p>Being more stubborn than Harry may prove to be a bit of a challenge.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Be Our Guest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"The Isle may be getting to look forward to their biggest communal advancement since tearing down the barrier after the announcement of a new educational program. Our King Benjamin and beloved Mal personally visited the Isle this last weekend to give further details and the people were thrilled-" The television screen flickered with static and the worn down speakers gave a typical- yet still agonizing- scratching noise before continuing, "-the turn out was incredible and according to the reports, there were enough surveys filled out that the Auradon council is sure they will soon be moving onto the next steps-"</p>
<p>Harry sat slouching on the barstool with his chin resting sluggishly in his hand. His interest was divided between the television, the surrounding chatter of Uma's restaurant, and his own exhausting thoughts.</p>
<p>"Ugh, it's about time that lousy king did anything for this dump of an island," A gruff voice said from the table behind him. Harry raised an eyebrow but he only sighed and sunk further into a slouch, keeping his eyes on the TV screen.</p>
<p>The reporter continued with her boring recount of the event while Harry found more interest in trying to spot himself in the footage they showed. The footage showed Ben and Mal and Evie and Jay and Uma. But not Harry. And it never even once mentioned the precious king getting pick-pocketed and the heroic pirate who saved him. Stealing from the king was criminal, but it was even more of a crime to not publicize the beautiful face of the man who saved the day. Oh well, it was the public's loss anyways.</p>
<p>"And now for a few words from King Benjamin himself," The reporter said and the screen jumped to an image of Ben back at Auradon with several microphones shoved into his face. Harry had only been half-watching the television, but when Ben appeared on screen and started speaking, Harry found himself perking up and investing more of his interest in the news.</p>
<p>"Yes it was a great experience to be at the Isle Saturday and getting to meet everyone and deliver such exciting news was wonderful," Ben had said. After witnessing his mental breakdown in the Enchanted Lake the day before, Harry had to admire Ben's impeccable ability to pretend like the world around him was perfectly fine.</p>
<p>"How does the success of the event affect the program moving forward?" One of the reporters asked. Ben stood tall and self-assured as he answered.</p>
<p>"It definitely gives us a lot of confidence in the program. We really believe with everyone's support and the amount of feedback we have received, that this program will move along far more quickly. After reading most of the survey responses, we have many ideas for what classes we are going to offer and how we will go about implementing them. There is a lot this Isle needs before we can make it as great as we know it can be. And we plan to get it there as soon as we can."</p>
<p>"Good Lord!" The voice from the table behind Harry interrupted, "As if this kid knows what we need! He's speakin' as if he's ever actually had to live here before!" A laugh at the table erupted and another voice, equally as gruff, pitched in.</p>
<p>"He gets with an Isle-girl and suddenly he thinks he's qualified to solve all of our problems."</p>
<p>"As if he's even stepped foot here longer than a few hours at a time. He probably felt like he had to shower the second he made it back to his prissy castle." The table erupted in laughter again. Harry's head began to ache and he looked back at the group of five men huddled around their table with drinks in their hands despite it being only just past noon. The men continued cracking remarks amongst themselves. Harry rolled his eyes and looked back at the TV.</p>
<p>The men's words couldn't exactly affect Harry. It's not like anything they were saying hadn't been said or thought by him before. Any day prior, Harry would've been leading the wise-cracking against Ben and Auradon. But now, for some reason, Harry couldn't help but feel almost bothered by the remarks.</p>
<p>Harry allowed the image of yesterday to flow through his mind. What a strange day it had been. Harry actually enjoyed it for the most part. Shoving Ben off a cliff was definitely a highlight of his week and as much as Harry didn't want to admit it... the rest was rather enjoyable as well.</p>
<p>For different reasons.</p>
<p>He had never received the pleasure of having a friendly one-on-one interaction with the king. In fact, Harry never intended for that morning to become anywhere near personal, but after Ben's emotional outburst ruining any opportunity for the further teasing he had planned, it would have just been in poor taste to simply overlook the fact that Ben truly needed some form of help. Simply leaving him in that state would have been like shooting an unarmed man.</p>
<p>Yeah, it was enjoyable. Harry actually appreciated seeing the more honest side of Ben and deep down, he was actually kind of glad he got to share his own intimate side. And it was also enjoyable to watch Ben's naivety unfold in a series of stutters and unintentionally offensive remarks at the revelation of that intimate side. Maybe Harry was just sadistic, but it was hard for him not to appreciate the pain of the situation. Remembering how quickly Ben lost his way with his words and struggled so hard to find the right thing to say in the midst of his obvious discomfort. It had been so amusing.</p>
<p>And adorable.</p>
<p>Harry didn't even realize he had been smiling from the memory. That smile, however, quickly dropped when the men behind him grew louder in their insults.</p>
<p>"What makes the boy think building a new school is where our priorities should be?"</p>
<p>Harry's patience had vanished. Nothing would make this moment less enjoyable than having to listen to a group of old men boastfully talking out their asses about someone he knew and they didn't. Harry groaned aloud to get their attention. </p>
<p>"All it takes is one look at the lot of ya to know just how <em>desperately</em> we need better education," Harry said and suddenly the table of men fell silent at the uncalled for remark.</p>
<p>"<em>Excuse me</em>, Pirate?" Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw the man begin to get up, but his friend beside him stopped him with one hand. The man decided against the physical challenge and instead remained seated and growled, "Would you like to say that again?"</p>
<p>"Not really," Harry waved him off, "I think ya' heard me well enough the first time."</p>
<p>The men at the table exchanged glances with each other, then looked back at Harry. People in the nearby tables began looking over in anticipation. Even Harry himself became slightly wary and he wondered if maybe he should have reworded his remark. Provoking people was his specialty, but Harry wasn't really interested in starting a bar-scuffle at the moment. Not in Uma's restaurant at least.</p>
<p>She would kill him.</p>
<p>"You got some nerve sayin' something like that so boldly," The man that had originally stopped his friend said. Harry raised an eyebrow and turned to face their table.</p>
<p>"I mean, It's not too far off from what you lads were sayin' about the king. <em>You</em> just have the pleasure of hearing it said to yer face." When the first man's face grew red with anger, Harry tilted his head to the side and said, "What? You can sit here crackin' fun at the king but can't take a little joke yerself?"</p>
<p>Two of the five men simply shrugged off Harry's remark with a shake of their heads and roll of their eyes. The first man, who's face was still red continued to scowl in Harry's direction. The second man next to him huffed, but then narrowed his eyes in recognition.</p>
<p>"You're Hook's son, aren't ya?"</p>
<p>Harry raised his eyebrows and laughed, "Aye. Did ya gather that from the <em>hook</em> or was it just a wild guess?"</p>
<p>The second man huffed again, but ignored the retort.<br/>"You got a problem with what we're saying, Pirate? Because it's all true. The Auradon council doesn't give a shit about people like us. They left us here rotting for two years and they're just now deciding to give us something practical, and they have the audacity to act like we've always been at the top of their minds."</p>
<p>"Mmm, well, I can't argue with that," Harry shrugged admittedly.</p>
<p>"And that Auradon <em>kid</em> is not qualified to make decisions for the Isle, much less run an entire kingdom!" The man added. Harry looked off to the side and replayed Ben's emotional breakdown in his mind.</p>
<p>"Yeah I can't argue with that either," He muttered, then he stood up off his stool, "But what I <em>can</em> argue is that the lot of ya aren't changing anything by sittin' here yellin' at a screen. The only thing you're contributing to is me headache."</p>
<p>"If you agree with us, then what problem do you have with us discussing the facts?"</p>
<p>Again, Harry reminded himself that before yesterday, he would be right there with them spitting ridicule at King Ben's face on the screen. All in good fun though; certainly not with as much disdain or passion as these folks. But he definitely wouldn't have felt a need to stick up for him like he suddenly did now.</p>
<p>"Aye, say what ya' will but give the King a break, will ya? Unless you <em>liked</em> being locked in here for all eternity. Because if it weren't for him that would still be the case."</p>
<p>"That still doesn't change the fact that those people have no business ruling over our home. I don't care if the Queen was born here, she's as good as one of them at this point and doesn't have to live with the decisions made for this place anymore."</p>
<p>"Oh, well, shall we elect you two as the new King and Queen of the Isle, then?" Harry gestured at the man along with his friend who had first spoken up. The men gritted their teeth but Harry continued, "I'm sure you two would be great, but in my honest opinion, Benjamin and Mal are just a lot prettier. So my vote will stay with them." Harry turned back toward the bar and started to sit back on the stool before the man spoke up again.</p>
<p>"Shouldn't that hook alone remind you that you can't trust those people? Your father had to get a hook to replace his <em>hand</em> because a fellow just like those in Auradon cut it off! I'm telling ya', you can't trust 'em."</p>
<p>Harry found the muscles in his arms tightening at the remark of his father. As if these men had any place to use him as a means to sway Harry's own opinion. His fingernails dug into his palm and his lips tensed. He lowered his voice.</p>
<p>"Keep annoyin' me with your talkin' and <em>you'll</em> have to get a hook to replace your <em>tongue</em>."</p>
<p>"Harry, stop harassing my customers!"</p>
<p>Harry didn't break his threatening gaze off the man until Uma had made it all the way over to stand in front of him and visibly block them from him. Harry finally met her impatient eyes and the tension in his face almost instantly relaxed.</p>
<p>"Uma! Fancy seein' you here."</p>
<p>She stood with her arms crossed for a second longer before cracking a grin and saying:</p>
<p>"I didn't know you were one for discussing politics, Harry." He glanced around Uma, back at the table of men before shrugging.</p>
<p>"I didn't realize defending an acquaintance of mine was discussing politics."</p>
<p>"When your dear acquaintance is the Auradon King, then yes it becomes politics," She glanced at the men as well, most likely to give them a silent apology on Harry's behalf. Then she looked back at Harry and gestured to the other side of the restaurant, "Anyways, come on, I need to borrow you for a minute."</p>
<p>"Aye, what for?"</p>
<p>"Just shut up and come on." Harry sighed at her order then turned toward the group of men for the last time.</p>
<p>"Gentlemen," He said, extending his hook out toward them to give a mocking farewell, to which the men received with eye rolls and aggravated grunts of disapproval. They turned back to one another, leaving Harry to follow Uma.</p>
<p>He made his way to the door at the back of the restaurant, which connected to Uma's office. He met her inside where she was already sitting in her chair, moving papers that were scattered on the desk out of the way. Instead of retrieving a chair for himself, Harry strolled up to lean against the edge of the desk, crossing his arms.</p>
<p>"Are you going to ask me to do more volunteer work? Because if that's the case, I'm taking the ship and I swear you'll never see me again." Uma laughed and shook her head.</p>
<p>"No, I actually wanted to thank you for your help on Saturday. Despite apparently annoying the hell out of Ben, you actually ended up doing a decent job of behaving like a normal person... relatively."</p>
<p>Harry gave her an innocent smile, "And you know I dreaded every second of it."</p>
<p>"Well, thank you anyways. And I'm pretty sure everyone else appreciated seeing you there helping out too. Which brings my to my next point..."</p>
<p>Oh no, this was beginning to sound familiar. Harry visibly cringed at the anticipation of what Uma was going to say.</p>
<p>"...I know you are sick of me bringing this up, but Harry, I really think you should consider going to the Ball."</p>
<p>"Okay Uma, that does it. I'm taking the ship," Harry leaned off the desk and started for the door only for Uma to throw out her hand and pull him back roughly by the sleeve of his coat.</p>
<p>"No, listen to me!"</p>
<p>Harry rolled his eyes, groaning in despair. He turned back around.</p>
<p>"What? We have this conversation a hundred times every year and I've never once even considered considering it. It's not going to change."</p>
<p>"I know Auradon isn't your favorite place. But going to one Ball for the sake of helping represent the Isle isn't going to kill you!" Uma frowned. Harry placed both of his hands on the table's surface and leaned over it to where his face was only a foot away from his captain's.</p>
<p>"You're grossly overestimating my strength, Dear."</p>
<p>Uma put her palm to Harry's forehead and shoved his face back as she said, "You're impossible, Harry. This Ball is going to be more important than the last two with the announcement of the new school program. There's going to be a larger emphasis on the Isle and we need as much representation there as possible. It's ridiculous for the Isle's governor-" She pointed to herself with her thumb, "-to go without her First Mate-" She pointed to Harry, "-by her side. <em>Again</em>."</p>
<p>"Um<em>aaa</em>," Her name came out half serious and half in a childish complaint. Harry was exhausted with this back and forth discussion. What was with the emphasis on attending the Ball? He knew it was important to everyone, but what did that have to do with him going? Harry recalled his very similar discussion with Ben the morning before and how insistent he was on 'giving Auradon a chance'. Was Harry being selfish by having no desire to attend the party they begged him to go to? Or were they the selfish ones for trying to annoy him into going to something he desperately didn't want to go to?</p>
<p>"Well, whatever," Uma waved her hand in defeat and Harry was about to race for the exit when she continued, "I tried to convince you to go <em>willingly</em>."</p>
<p>Harry furrowed his eyebrows, "What is that supposed to m-" Before he could finish the question, Uma reached into a drawer under her desk and pulled out a thin blue box tied shut with a velvet ribbon. She placed the box on the table, gave Harry a smug grin of victory, and slid it to Harry.</p>
<p>"What... is this?" Harry started to ask, but one raise of Uma's eyebrow and a motion of her head was enough to beckon him to open it. Warily, he reached out and picked up the box. For a moment too long, he stared at the ribbon which had the embroidered address of "Harry Hook" imprinted on it and suddenly opening it felt like taking the pin off a grenade. He really, really didn't want to do it. He sucked in an unenthusiastic breath and tore the box open.</p>
<p>Falling out of the box and creating a loud clink when it hit the table was a blue scroll tied by yet another velvet ribbon. With another uncertain glance thrown at Uma, which was received with a glare of impatience, Harry pulled off the ribbon and unfurled the scroll. He let his eyes linger on the material, not quite sure what he was looking at at first. Fancy calligraphy and designs covered the entirety of it and he almost became overwhelmed by the ornate composition of the paper.</p>
<p>"It just came in today. Read it, will ya?" Uma insisted.</p>
<p>Harry cleared his throat and began from the top.</p>
<p>"'His Royal Majesty, King Benjamin of Auradon, is pleased to formally request the honor of your presence, <em>Harry Hook</em>, to join the castle in celebration of the Third Annual Unity Ball. It is with great gratitude to inform you-' God, he's so dramatic '-that you have been selected as an honorary guest, and we eagerly await the gift of your attendance..' signed, Benjamin Florian of Auradon...." Harry's eyes stayed glued to Ben's signature even after he had finished reading.</p>
<p>"Do you know what that is, Harry?"</p>
<p>"Ah... Jury duty?"</p>
<p>"It's a Royal Invitation. To the Unity Ball."</p>
<p>"Yeah..." Harry searched the letter again, looking over every word. He struggled to search for a response. He came out empty.</p>
<p>"Harry, getting one of these is a big deal. I don't know what possessed Ben to send you one, but clearly they want you to attend enough that they are dedicating a spot at the Royal Table for you."</p>
<p>"Royal table?"</p>
<p>"Yes. Those that get royal invitations sit at the Royal Table. They only give out like ten of these to people who aren't royalty. It's a huge honor and it would be insulting if you didn't go."</p>
<p>Harry suddenly had even more trouble coming up with a response. Arguing against going to the Ball at this point would be solely about pride, and there was still a big fraction of him that wanted to continue doing so. At the same time, however, holding onto the scroll with Ben's personal signature staring back at him created a weird feeling within. It was difficult for the significance of this invitation to fully register in Harry's mind since royal formalities were not his strong suit, but he still knew there was a big significance to it. And even that was enough for Harry to feel defeat in his argument against going. At this point, it may cause more grief not to go than it would cause his own agony to go.</p>
<p>"Oh and Evie will be here in less than twenty minutes to take your measurements for your suit."</p>
<p>Harry dropped his hands, still holding onto the scroll, "What?"</p>
<p>"Yup," Uma went back to grabbing more papers and folders to arrange them around the desk, "She called not too long ago to tell me she has strict orders to not allow you to back out of this."</p>
<p>"Uma, I can't afford a suit, much less a tailored one." It was Harry's last hope at being excused from the dreadful party.</p>
<p>"And I was told not to worry about that. Apparently it's covered."</p>
<p>Harry cackled in disbelief, shaking his head.</p>
<p>"Ben you son of a... And to think I just <em>defended</em> ya'," he muttered. Suddenly the idea of marching back into the restaurant and joining those men in their slanderous frenzy against The King sounded ideal. Harry looked back at the invitation and at Ben's signature.</p>
<p>"You can't get out of this one, Harry." He wasn't looking, but he could feel Uma's wickedly smug smile.</p>
<p>Twenty minutes.</p>
<p>Evie was going to be here in twenty minutes.</p>
<p>Harry found himself internally calculating how long it would take to pack, undock the ship, and sail far, far away.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Apples to Hooks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I'm here! I'm here!" A flash of blue burst through the front swinging doors of Uma's restaurant and a slender figure stumbled toward the bar, dragging behind her a briefcase which looked heavier than her own body. Her boots clicked loudly on the ground as she rushed toward the back of the restaurant. Disturbed patrons all across the room scowled and glared at her disruption, but the girl had a tunnel vision as if the people in her surroundings weren't even there.</p>
<p>Evie glided to a halt in front of Uma and Harry, panting in exhaustion as if she had ran all the way from the Auradon castle by foot.</p>
<p>"I'm here, I'm so sorry I'm late, you can't even begin to understand the hassle it is trying to leave my shop, I feel like Doug and Dizzy write down all of their questions in a journal and wait until I'm in the biggest hurry to leave to ask me all of it! God, I love them both dearly, but I truly think I may need to be locked in a room alone to work until this Ball is over otherwise I'm going to-"</p>
<p>"Evie," Uma held up her hand to silence her. Her forehead creased in concern, "You're ten minutes early. Everything is okay."</p>
<p>Evie pursed her lips, then looked around the restaurant to observe the scene she had created. Her eyes landed on the clock on the wall and her entire body sunk with a breath of relief.</p>
<p>"Oh," she exhaled, her frown morphed into a bashful grin. She laughed nervously, "Well then... please disregard... <em>everything</em> I just said. Huh." She pushed her long blue hair behind her shoulder then her eyes fluttered up to meet Harry, who had been hiding behind Uma and chewing on one of his nails in dread of what was to come.</p>
<p>"Harry! Hi!" Her smile brightened and she waved at him excitedly, "I'm so excited for this- you know, despite the fact that Ben apparently has no concept of how long perfection takes and two weeks is <em>not</em> an ideal amount of time to be expected to create a true masterpiece-" She stopped herself mid sentence and covered her mouth, "Oh no! Don't tell him I said that... All of this stress is getting to my head. I don't mean what I'm saying."</p>
<p>"Aye, this all looks like it may be a bit too much on your plate, Evie. I'm sure Ben will understand if we just called it a day and didn't put too much work on you-"</p>
<p>"Nope! Na-uh! As wonderful as one less job sounds right now, I'm not giving in on this one! I'm making you the perfect suit and you are going to wear it to the ball and blow everyone away! Now come on, let's get started on these measurements." She grabbed at her briefcase and started to the door to Uma's office. Uma shot Harry a side glance and let a laugh slip out of her throat before she gestured toward the room. Harry remained where he was, still biting his nail while he considered making a run for it. But, like Uma said, this wasn't going to <em>kill</em> him... Right? He could make it through a few minutes of playing dress up. He could also make it through a few hours of playing an aristocratic pirate at the ball. I mean, he had been through a lot worse.</p>
<p>Uma and Harry moved into the room to see Evie's briefcase already open and laid out on the floor. Fabrics of all kinds bursted out of the sides along with boxes of tools and a plethora of small accessories. Evie was rummaging through them for a quick second before she stood up with a clipboard in one hand and a tape measure in the other. She huffed in excitement, holding both items out in front of her with a smile.</p>
<p>"Okay Harry, take your jacket off."</p>
<p>"Huh," Harry shrugged and gave Evie a grin as he reached for the opening of his jacket, "Getting straight down to it then, aren't we?"</p>
<p>"I just need the jacket off, don't get too excited," Evie rolled her eyes as Harry tossed his jacket at the nearest chair. She then unrolled the tape measure and instructed Harry to lift his arms before she proceeded to wrap it around his chest. Uma watched the two before she leaned against her desk and squinted in skepticism.</p>
<p>"Not that I have any problem with it, but," Uma began asking Evie, "What exactly made Ben decide to give Harry a royal invitation?" Harry's eyes bounced between Uma and Evie, mindful to not allow his expression to disclose what Ben wished to remain a secret.</p>
<p>"Honestly, I'm not sure," Evie said, writing down numbers on her clipboard and moving on to measure his waist, "I was a bit surprised too, I mean, according to Mal, Ben may as well have wanted to <em>kill</em> him after Harry apparently drove him insane at the event on Saturday." Both of the girls then gave Harry a quick scolding look which made him chuckle with pride. Evie shook her head and carried on with writing down her measurements, but Uma's look lingered on Harry. Harry picked up on a small sense of skepticism on her part, to which Harry hoped to diminish by looking forward and saying:</p>
<p>"I'm pretty sure forcing me to go to the Ball is a spiteful payback on Ben's part, rather than a nice gesture."</p>
<p>Evie laughed, "Well, if that's the case, he's spending an awful lot of money on this suit out of spite."</p>
<p>"Wait, what?" Both Uma and Harry said in harmony. The two exchanged a glance before directing their concerned expressions back to Evie. Evie quickly shook her head and her huff of frustration made her appear to internally scold herself.</p>
<p>"Oh, never mind! You didn't hear me say that!"</p>
<p>"How much is Ben spending on this suit?" Uma pressed. Harry shifted uncomfortably.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry," Evie's eyes pleaded for them to drop the subject, "I shouldn't have said anything. Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal. I mean, especially not for <em>Ben</em>."</p>
<p>"Well whatever it is we'll try to repay him for it, I promise," Uma said, shaking her head in guilt. Harry grew more uncomfortable at the words 'repay him' and anxiously analyzed Uma's expression as if he were a child waiting for his parent to handle a sudden crisis. He wasn't familiar with any attire that went beyond the average Auradon-hand-me-downs that the Isle citizens received. The pricing of a customized, tailored suit was completely foreign to him. He knew it was well above a price range Harry could ever dream of having, but that was about it. And knowing Ben, and how posh each and every article of his clothing down to his socks had been at the event that weekend, there was a sick feeling that 'repaying him' for this suit would probably cost Harry a year's worth of labor. Probably more.</p>
<p>Of course, Harry shared Uma's guilt over being gifted such a potentially expensive suit, but unlike her, he had no intention of working to repay Ben. No. He didn't even want to go to the ball and Ben was fully aware of that. All of this was just a ploy to entrap Harry into going, so going was the sufficient amount of 'repayment' that Ben was going to receive. Besides, the cost of the suit- even if it were the most expensive one out there- could probably be paid with Ben's pocket change anyways.</p>
<p>"No, no," Evie waved her hand in disapproval, "He said it was on the house- well on the castle. And I'm sure he's more than happy to do it anyways. I mean, he actually seemed excited when he ordered it from me. Usually I turn down commission with deadlines so soon, but he was in an abnormally good mood so I couldn't exactly say no," She frowned and added, "...and he's the <em>King</em>."</p>
<p>"Abnormally good mood?" Uma asked, most likely desperate to take the subject away from the cost of Harry's new suit.</p>
<p>"Yeah," Evie replied, equally as desperate for the change of subject, "According to Mal he's just been a bit off lately. And I guess I've noticed it a bit, too. For a while, actually. And, well, yesterday he was gone all morning to do something- I'm not sure what- but he came back in a weirdly-energized mood. I guess he was just feeling very generous, and he knows how much we all want Harry at this ball. I don't know, whatever it was that inspired this gesture of his, I'm happy for it," she smirked in Harry's direction, "It's about time someone <em>forced</em> you to go."</p>
<p>Harry tried to return a smile, but a sickness began forming in his stomach. A collection of thoughts hit him at once. How many people noticed Ben's absence yesterday morning? What had he told them when he had returned to the castle? Also... weirdly-energized mood? What had Harry done to put Ben in a weirdly-energized mood, enough to generously commission a high end tailored suit for the pirate that had just shoved him off a cliff and into the Enchanted Lake? It was interesting that Evie mentioned Ben had been in an "abnormally good mood" after his absence the day prior. It was interesting because... it meant Harry hadn't been the only one.</p>
<p>After leaving Ben by the lake, Harry had noticed a shift in his own spirit. He certainly hadn't been exuberant to the point of gifting someone with a suit, but he had been happier than usual. At least, he had found himself grinning more.</p>
<p>It must have been the effects of the Enchanted Lake. Harry hadn't experienced swimming in it before, but if the water had the power to make even an irritable pirate become a bit cheerful, then he could at last understand the charm of it.</p>
<p>"Gone all morning?" Uma muttered, and Harry felt a side-glance from her way, "Where'd he go?"</p>
<p>"Dunno. I didn't ask," Evie shrugged, "I'm sure he was just dealing with a whole lot of work. Regardless, it was nice seeing him so happy for a change."</p>
<p>The sickness in Harry's stomach churned when he noticed the way Uma was watching him. It dawned on him that Uma was fully aware that he, too, had been gone all morning the day before.</p>
<p>And he, too, had come back in a happier mood.</p>
<p>Whether or not she had put two and two together was now the prominent question in Harry's mind. It was a stretch for her to make, as- from what Uma knows- Harry had no logical reason to meet up with Ben in secret. There wasn't much of a case for Uma to become skeptical over. Nothing up until this point would suggest anything unseemly was happening.</p>
<p>But the way Uma was staring at Harry gave him an ugly feeling that she was, in fact, putting two and two together. His captain and his dearest friend knew him better than anyone else in the world. And she was more in tune with Harry's emotions than he was with his own. If there was something going on with Harry, Uma would sense it.</p>
<p>And there was very little doubt that she had.</p>
<p>Uma frowned slightly, but Harry kept his head forward and expression as neutral as possible as Evie continued with her measurements.</p>
<p>She stretched the tape measure along his arm, from his shoulder to just below his wrist, and said, "But honestly, I shouldn't be bringing the King's personal affairs to you. I don't want it to seem like I'm gossiping."</p>
<p><em>'The King himself shouldn't even be bringing the King's personal affairs to me,'</em> Harry thought with grief. He checked on Uma again, who had just taken her gaze off of him. God, he hated lying. But lying to Uma felt like the worst sin.</p>
<p>"I get you," Uma nodded, although her demeanor showed lingering interest. She sighed and said, "Well, kids, I have to get back to work. You two have fun with this. And don't let him give you too much trouble, Evie."</p>
<p>"Of course," Evie laughed as Uma gave her a parting smile before glancing once more at Harry and backing out of the door.</p>
<p>While Harry was relieved that Uma would no longer be standing there, forcing him to silently lie, he was also now suddenly distressed at the idea of having a one-on-one with Evie. Although it was better Evie than most anyone else from Auradon. At least Evie had the wonderful power to hold a conversation with herself, which relieved Harry of most of the pressure of small talk.</p>
<p>It only took a few seconds after Uma left for Evie to bounce to the next subject as she worked.</p>
<p>"So, Harry," She began, wrapping the tape measure around his bicep, "Please tell me you're at least a <em>little bit</em> excited for the Ball."</p>
<p>"Not even the slightest," He said without missing a beat. Evie's posture dropped in disbelief.</p>
<p>"Oh come on. I don't believe you. Free food and drinks. Music. Dancing. Friends. How could you not love that?"</p>
<p>"Well I guess free food and drinks don't sound too bad," Harry shrugged.</p>
<p>"See? That's <em>something</em>!" She insisted, and Harry had to chuckle at her excitement.</p>
<p>"Aye, I'm definitely curious to see what all the fuss is about. It's only been talked about non stop by everyone around me."</p>
<p>"Well you'll finally experience the magic of Auradon parties. And I'll get to show you all of the other dresses and suits I've designed! God, I'm so excited for it. Mainly because all of this work will be over and out of the way and I'll finally take a much needed break. But, also because this Ball is so special to all of us and I love seeing so many people from the Isle and Auradon coming together and having such a wonderful night."</p>
<p>It was hard not to admire Evie's sentimentality. If only the thought of love and joy and social unity could bring as much happiness to Harry as it did to Evie. <em>He</em> was still thinking about the food and drinks.</p>
<p>"I'm sure you'll have a great time," Evie continued, "And who knows, you may even meet a special someone." She nudged him, which Harry returned with a wince. At further thought of him finding true love at the ball, the wince unintentionally turned into a blush of slight discomfort. Her eyes lit up and she tilted her head at him, "Unless you've <em>already</em> met a special someone..."</p>
<p>He huffed, as if what she said were only a slightly funny joke. She backed away from her measuring to place a hand on her hips in impatience.</p>
<p>"Well?" She prodded, "Is that a yes?"</p>
<p>"Oh Evie, are you forgetting who yer talkin' to?"</p>
<p>"What? Are relationships suddenly below your dignity? Because if I remember correctly, you were flying through them," She teased. Harry sneered in return.</p>
<p>"Flying through them quicker than you?"</p>
<p>"Hey!"</p>
<p>"Aye, don't act like your reputation was any more virtuous than mine."</p>
<p>"<em>Excuse me</em>," She now placed both hands on her hips and her jaw dropped in exaggerated offense, "I'll have you know I've been in a loving, committed relationship for almost three years now. So I'd like to think I've redeemed my virtue."</p>
<p>"Well, Dear, I still live on the Isle," He grinned at her, "We can't afford virtue."</p>
<p>She clicked her tongue at Harry's cynicism then moved around him to measure the length of his back.</p>
<p>"Well then maybe you should come over to Auradon. I'm positive there's a special individual over there that can tame Harry Hook."</p>
<p>"Tame?" Harry grinned over his shoulder, "Is that what happened to you?"</p>
<p>"No," She insisted, "Unlike you, it's always been my dream to find my true love, so when I finally left the Isle and moved to Auradon, that's all I wanted. And then I met Doug and he's the best thing that has ever happened to me! I mean, yes he can drive me insane sometimes and I'm sure I drive him insane... And working in the shop together can be a challenge... But in the end no one makes me happier than him. And no one makes me smile and laugh more than him. It's true love. And It's perfect."</p>
<p>True love. The daughter of the Evil Queen had found her true love.</p>
<p>From time to time, Harry considered what it would be like to find this "true love" that everyone seemed to be obsessed with. Of all the relationships he had been in, none of them seemed to be driven by true love.</p>
<p>Liking? Yes.</p>
<p>Admiration? Yes.</p>
<p>Lust? ...Yes, mostly lust.</p>
<p>But true love? Not really. At least not on Harry's part. He couldn't be upset about it and he certainly couldn't blame the universe for "depriving" him of his opportunity for love, because it wasn't really the universe's fault. It was on Harry for never putting in the effort of <em>finding</em> his true love. Or even building on any of the relationships he had. He quite easily could have bumped into several of his true loves along the way and he would have never known because he never gave them the time of day. Or even the thought.</p>
<p>True love hadn't ever been on his mind like it had Evie's. It wasn't his thing. He never saw himself as one to fall in love and he had become content in his life without it. He didn't have anything against love, although the way people acted when they were <em>in</em> love definitely grossed him out sometimes, he just wasn't ever in a proper state to prioritize it. Why would he? He's a pirate after all, and pirates weren't exactly known for their hopeless romance.</p>
<p>As Evie talked about her perfect relationship with Doug with joy lighting up her face, there was a small tugging at Harry's own heart. He would be lying if he denied it. He could feel it was there, but he couldn't exactly decipher what it was trying to tell him.</p>
<p>"It sounds..." Harry searched for the right word, but nothing felt right so he settled, "Unattainable?"</p>
<p>"It's <em>magical</em>," Evie corrected, "And it's far from unattainable. Maybe if you stopped being so stubborn you'd get to experience it yourself."</p>
<p>"I just don't think all that fairytale stuff is really my thing, Evie. Falling in love, living happily ever after... I see the appeal, but it isn't really made for the pirates' life. I'm more of a stealin' and fightin' type of man me-self."</p>
<p>"See, thats' what I mean. You're too stubborn. And negative. There's someone out there for you, Harry, you probably just need to look in places you'd least expect. Take me for example, you said it yourself I may not have been the best with relationships, but now I have Doug. And look at Mal! No one would have ever expected her to be in a committed relationship and now she's engaged to The <em>King</em>!"</p>
<p>Ah, yes, The King. The same King who had just broken down in front of Harry about how awful his current relationship really was. Ben and Mal, who had been the epitome of true love in Auradon... and half of the party was miserable.</p>
<p>Harry felt discouragement creeping up at the thought of Ben breaking down in front of him. Discouragement and...</p>
<p>Sympathy?</p>
<p>The way all of his anguish and frustration had poured out of him. The words he had yelled out. It was sad, and although Harry couldn't relate to any of his problems, he still felt sympathetic. How often did Harry feel sympathetic towards someone he had no personal connection to?</p>
<p>Could he honestly say he had no personal connection to Ben at this point?</p>
<p>God, why was he even thinking about this?</p>
<p>Evie let out a gasp which shook Harry of his thoughts. Her eyes brightened and she bounced in a sudden realization.</p>
<p>"Maybe you just need to find yourself some royalty of your own!" She grinned a wide grin and Harry laughed and rolled his eyes. Evie clapped her hands together, "Well there will be plenty of eligible royal bachelors at the Ball. Maybe you'll find your true love! Oh Gosh! That means the pressure is on <em>me</em> to make sure you look absolutely <em>enchanting</em>. Ugh. Don't worry. I promise when I'm done, no one will be able to keep their eyes off of you!"</p>
<p>"Aye, Auradon royalty?" Harry asked in disbelief, still chuckling at Evie's tangent, "What, like a <em>princess</em>?"</p>
<p>"You never know!" Evie threw out her arms, the topic clearly distracting her from continuing her work. Harry wasn't truly considering it, but humoring Evie was entertaining enough for him to play along.</p>
<p>"Well what about Charming's son? He's a prince, right?"</p>
<p>"<em>Chad</em>?" Evie's face twisted suddenly, and she quickly shook her head, "No. Been there. Trust me, that's a bullet you want to dodge."</p>
<p>"But you said I needed to look in places I'd least expect!"</p>
<p>"Hey, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be, and I'm not one to interfere with true love. But, that being said, I would still strongly advise rethinking that one."</p>
<p>The thought of having any deep romantic relationship with someone like Chad- or most people born and raised in Auradon for that matter- sounded ridiculous. He saw them all to be duplicates of the same classic mold which he held a sour distaste for. Rich, stuck up, shallow, and... what was the other one?</p>
<p>Uptight.</p>
<p>But... Ben had proved him wrong, hadn't he? Ben wasn't so bad. He was a bit uptight. Definitely rich- but it didn't make him stuck up. <em>Naive</em>, yes, but not stuck up. And he definitely wasn't <em>shallow</em>. There was clearly a depth to him, as crumbled and neglected as it may be. It was still of value, and Harry actually enjoyed familiarizing himself with that depth of Ben no one else got to see.</p>
<p>Not even Mal.</p>
<p>Even if they had never been friends- and under all of the teasing and bickering between them- Harry still felt a compelling curiosity to dig further into the subconscious realm of Ben. He almost wanted to shake him out of that state of his own emotional denial. Or...</p>
<p>Wait, what were they talking about again?</p>
<p>Oh yeah.</p>
<p>True love.</p>
<p>Ben needed to stop forcing his way into Harry's thoughts. Everything recently seemed to be Ben, Ben, Ben. Ever since he stepped foot on Harry's ship and said the words "I think I'm being cursed by you", so much grief had suddenly been thrown up into the air and spun around like a tornado. He had hoped that tornado would have died after hitting the Enchanted Lake, but it hadn't.</p>
<p>It was a lot calmer of a tornado and it wasn't as big or as rampant as before, but it was still a tornado. And Ben remained right in the center of it.</p>
<p>Harry forced the distracting thoughts to the back of his mind and instead, raised an eyebrow at Evie and asked in a sly manner, "What? Did Prince <em>Chad</em> manage to break Evie's heart?"</p>
<p>She scoffed and rolled her eyes at whatever memory had come to her. She went back to working, writing down numbers on the spreadsheet and stretching the tape across different parts of Harry's body.</p>
<p>"He actually did," She said, but she had walked around Harry so he couldn't see whether or not her expression was genuinely hurt.</p>
<p>"Evie the Heartbreaker. Got her heart broken by an Auradon lad?"</p>
<p>She sighed, "That's what I get for chasing after the wrong kind of guy. Thank God Doug had been there all along waiting to sweep me off my feet. It's crazy how blind I had been believing Chad was my perfect match, when really, Doug was the one I <em>actually</em> liked."</p>
<p>"So what made you finally give Doug the time of day?" Harry wasn't really invested in her personal relationship, but Evie clearly enjoyed talking about it, and the more she talked to fill the silence, the less he would have to.</p>
<p>"Well, after I found out Chad was pretty much just using me, I realized that I never actually felt anything real for him. And all the feelings I had when I was around Doug... <em>those</em> were real. And I had actually really liked <em>him</em>."</p>
<p>"Feelings like what?" Harry asked, "You know, so I know what to look out for when I meet the love of my life at the Unity Ball."</p>
<p>Evie blushed and her hands tightened around the tape measure as she thought about the remembrance of falling in love. She looked off to the side and exhaled a breath of happiness.</p>
<p>"At first it was just enjoying the time when I was around him. With Chad I wanted to spend time with him, but it was solely to get something out of it. With Doug, I just found myself genuinely enjoying his company. And I felt comfortable around him, you know? There wasn't any need to pretend to be anyone else."</p>
<p>Well the latter was easy. Harry couldn't remember a time in which he put in the effort to pretend to be someone he wasn't. Why would he ever do that? There wasn't a time in his life- at least that he was currently aware of- when he felt the need to impress anyone badly enough that he would put on an act. Why would someone so difficult to impress be worth his time anyways? Then again, he didn't spend much time around anyone other than Uma and the rest of his pirate crew.</p>
<p>As far as enjoying the company of another person, <em>that</em> was more tricky. As someone who was easily annoyed by certain personalities, it would be a bit harder for him to find himself <em>enjoying</em> the company of another. Again, he didn't spend too much time around a variety of people, so he couldn't really determine what exactly it was that made him enjoy someone's presence. He mostly tolerated others. He couldn't even say he'd enjoy the one-on-one company of half of his pirate crew. He also couldn't say he genuinely enjoyed the time he spent with anyone from his past relationships. It was fun and entertaining, but to say he enjoyed being around them... well if that were true, he wouldn't have "flown through them" as Evie so kindly put it.</p>
<p>He enjoyed Uma's company very much. He sometimes enjoyed Gil, back when he still lived on the Isle. He <em>was</em> enjoying Evie's company right now.</p>
<p>He enjoyed Ben's company, too. He definitely enjoyed teasing him and watching him get riled up over the jokes. Even without the teasing he had found himself appreciating the time he had spent around Ben. As inconvenient as the last week was to Harry's life, there was a certain charm to the melodrama. He certainly hadn't experienced anything like that with anyone else.</p>
<p>The tugging at Harry's heart had come back. It was a feeling Harry didn't exactly like because he had always claimed to be so in tune with his own emotions yet now, he couldn't figure out what exactly he was feeling. Or why he was feeling anything at all.</p>
<p>Evie kept talking, and it kept tugging.</p>
<p>"And then, I realized that I found him to be so cute. Even if he's not what I had originally considered to be my type. His personality was charming. He was sweet and funny. He was a bit awkward but I found that to be so adorable. He definitely made me laugh, even when he wasn't trying-"</p>
<p>Harry's attention began to drift away from Evie's recount.</p>
<p>Was he really that in tune with his own emotions? That's what he had told himself. It's what he had told Ben. He liked to think so, but now it was like he was being hit with a bubbling feeling so new and foreign for nothing other than to be proved wrong. It wasn't like it was overwhelming him, but the mere presence of the tugging was enough to frustrate him.</p>
<p>"-he really just made me happy. He was encouraging and I always felt like I could rely on him-"</p>
<p>Was the feeling embarrassment? It felt an awful lot like embarrassment, but not quite exactly. It was a similar feeling in his stomach, but nothing had happened for him to be embarrassed over.</p>
<p>Was it nervousness? He could've been nervous about the Unity Ball. But... he really wasn't. He wasn't looking forward to the ball, but that didn't mean he was nervous about it.</p>
<p>Harry searched his mental library of emotions, struggling to put a name to the feeling.</p>
<p>"-Ugh, it's just making me so giddy thinking about Doug and I back then and how-"</p>
<p>Giddiness? That wasn't quite it either. He hadn't ever felt "giddy" before, but he knew what he was feeling now wasn't as passionate as what giddiness was supposed to be. No, it wasn't giddiness... but he got the sense that it was a step closer.</p>
<p>Infatuation.</p>
<p>Harry had felt infatuation before. He had felt infatuation for all- or at least the majority- of his past relationships. The tugging sensation was very similar to the sense of infatuation that he had felt at the beginning stages of those past relationships. It wasn't exactly the same, but it was the closest experience he could relate it to. Maybe these weird bubbling emotions were coming up because Evie was going on and on about her own feelings regarding her relationship and this was just Harry's pathetic way of trying to relate to it. Perhaps her obsession with romance as well as her in depth description of what it was like to have a crush on Doug had become contagious and powerful enough that it had sparked the same emotions in Harry.</p>
<p>Or...</p>
<p>What if...</p>
<p>Maybe Harry was actually <em>experiencing</em> it.</p>
<p>Well that couldn't really be likely.</p>
<p>"-I just found myself thinking about him a lot when I wasn't with him. And I found myself wanting to be around him and to get to know him more. You know, I never felt that with Chad. With Doug, I was genuinely interested in who he was. That was definitely one of the bigger signs."</p>
<p>Harry seemed to momentarily snap out of his train of thought. It had just dawned on him how distracted he had become and he hadn't heard more than half of what Evie had said. Wow. Harry becoming distracted over emotions. It wasn't a first but it was for sure an irregular occurrence, enough that it made him a bit surprised with himself.</p>
<p>'<em>Huh</em>,' he thought, almost shaking his head, '<em>Maybe I should go ask Ben if this means he's cursing me.</em>' The thought almost made him laugh aloud. Then his heart tugged a bit more.</p>
<p>Wait a second.</p>
<p>"-You know, I always thought it would be love at first sight for me, but I'm actually quite glad things got to build the way they did. I love looking back and thinking about how all of it develo- hey... Harry are you okay?"</p>
<p>Evie had pulled away from him to give him a look of concern. That was when Harry noticed he had subconsciously began frowning. He immediately forced himself to relax and shook his head with a grin.</p>
<p>"Of course," He glanced off to the side, "I'm just, you know, trying to mentally take in all the notes."</p>
<p>"Oh gosh I'm sorry, I guess I gave you a novel when you asked for a simple answer. I just- when it comes to love I feel like I have too much to say. I could talk all day long about it," She gave him a guilty smile.</p>
<p>"I believe you." Harry tried to return a smile but inside his innocent tugging feeling had turned into a twisting desire to suddenly sit down and mull over every single question that had suddenly swarmed his mind.</p>
<p>What was going on?</p>
<p>Was it Evie's narration of attraction that created a physical experience within Harry?</p>
<p>Or had her narration actually awoken real feelings within him?</p>
<p>Real feelings that seemed to tug at the thought of... Ben.</p>
<p>Why, though, would Harry be having real feelings anyways? There hadn't been any romantic energy in the last week, had there? Not that he knew of. Or at least, not any intentional romantic energy. There had been a connection between them the morning before which Harry for sure felt, but it wasn't different from any connection Harry had made with any of his other acquaintances. He had just gotten to know him a bit more and it really, honestly hadn't gone past that.</p>
<p>But then Harry acknowledged his inability to keep the events of the previous day off of his mind. How thinking about it and remembering the good moments brought a smile to his face. He enjoyed Ben's company. He could admit that. He found Ben's naivety to be a bit adorable. He had admitted that. But as far as the rest of it.</p>
<p>Ben.</p>
<p><em>Ben</em>.</p>
<p>
  <em>King Benjamin.</em>
</p>
<p>Harry suddenly felt the urge to laugh. It seemed ridiculous to even be thinking about this. I mean, to find Ben to be attractive wasn't the craziest thing. He could objectively say he was an attractive guy and, well, to say Harry hadn't been shamefully checking him out after they had exited the Lake and hung their shirts up to dry would be dishonest. Because he totally had been.</p>
<p>But to <em>be</em> attracted to Ben was another thing. Aside from the long list of reasons why it would be completely wrong, <em>being</em> attracted to Ben just felt very unseemly. It was out of character and that's what made it the hardest for Harry to believe that was a reality. A rich, goody two-shoes Auradon boy from a strict, aristocratic family. There wasn't much out there that sounded less fitting to Harry's lifestyle than that.</p>
<p>Harry thought about his last relationship. How it ended over a year ago. An entire year. It wasn't like he hadn't gone longer without seeing someone before, but he still felt deprived of the benefits a fun relationship brought- as short lived as they all may have been. Maybe Harry was just feeling tired and bored of being single and Ben's sudden involvement in his life was just new and exciting. It would make sense for Harry to become romantically opportunistic.</p>
<p>Yes. That definitely made sense and it comforted Harry to know that if that were the case, he would quickly lose the feelings and move on to a more realistic match.</p>
<p>The tugging feeling had stopped. As Harry had become lost in his thoughts, he hadn't even realized it was no longer there. He was thinking about Ben and the tugging at his heart suddenly wasn't tugging anymore. Was he even positive there was a correlation?</p>
<p>Was he just teasing himself?</p>
<p>Maybe it wasn't romantic at all. I mean, he didn't have to like Ben romantically for his current feelings to be validated. In fact, if it were just a platonic attraction to Ben, then that would make even more sense. Harry didn't often experience a desire to be someone's friend. This could very much be exactly what it felt like to that. Maybe that's all this was.</p>
<p>Ben was more interesting than Harry had ever considered him to be. Harry appreciated interesting people. Especially when they seemed to be more insane than him. So it would be perfectly logical for Harry to be a bit infatuated with- or more appropriately, <em>intrigued</em> by- Ben.</p>
<p>Still, picturing himself becoming best friends with the King of Auradon was ridiculous. It wasn't as dramatic as having a crush on him, but it was still a bit ridiculous.</p>
<p>Again, Harry wanted to laugh at the idea.</p>
<p>"Are you two almost done in there?" Uma's voice started Harry. He looked up to watch his captain make her way back into the room, halting beside Evie with her arms crossed. Her voice had apparently startled Evie as well since she visibly jumped and turned to place her hand on her heart.</p>
<p>"God." Evie took in a breath then sighed it back out, "Yes, I'm just about done. Sorry, we got a bit distracted talking."</p>
<p>Uma raised an eyebrow in curiosity and Harry expected her to ask about what, but she instead said, "Well I'm glad you both are getting the opportunity to catch up."</p>
<p>"It's been long overdue," Evie agreed as she continued to work. At Uma's presence, Evie seemed to pick up her working pace.</p>
<p>"Well," Uma said, "I just came in to check on you guys. And also to tell you I may need Harry back pretty soon."</p>
<p>"Oh no," Harry interjected with dread in his voice, "Take all the time you need, Evie, she's going to make me <em>work</em> as soon as you finish."</p>
<p>"Gosh, I don't know which one of you to listen to," Evie joked. She had knelt down on one knee to measure from Harry's hip to his ankle. She stared at the number for a few seconds before writing it on the clipboard and jumping back to her feet.</p>
<p>"But unfortunately, Harry," Evie said, apology filling her eyes, "I'm actually done."</p>
<p>Uma smiled in victory while Harry let out a defeated sigh.</p>
<p>"Oh! Before I forget," Evie rummaged through her briefcase for a moment and when she stood up she was holding a gradient of red fabrics. She took Uma's side and held them up to Harry so the two could study them.</p>
<p>"Which shade of red do you think fits best?" Evie asked Uma. Both of their gazes bounced between the fabrics and Harry for several seconds. Meanwhile, Harry grew uncomfortable standing and waiting.</p>
<p>After careful consideration, Uma finally pointed toward the end of the gradient.</p>
<p>"The darker one, for sure."</p>
<p>"Right?" Evie turned to Uma, excitement filling her voice at their similar minds, "That's the one I was leaning towards."</p>
<p>"Red?" Harry interrupted, concern covering his expression, "Isn't that like... pretty bold for an event like this?"</p>
<p>"Don't question her, Harry, she knows what she's doing."</p>
<p>"Yeah," Evie agreed with a frown, "I don't put hours of my life into work that's going to get overlooked. I promised you that you were going to turn heads, and red is your best friend for that."</p>
<p>"I didn't exactly agree to the idea of standing out so much," Harry argued. Uma clicked her tongue in disbelief.</p>
<p>"Oh, don't act like you're not going to love every bit of the attention, Harry, I <em>know</em> you," she sneered.</p>
<p>"Wow, I'm feelin' pretty attacked right now."</p>
<p>"Just trust me, Harry," Evie insisted, "I'm not going to let you down. Now... I should have a draft of the suit put together in a couple of days. We'll need to meet again for that fitting so I can make adjustments."</p>
<p>"Wait what?" A frown immediately formed on Harry's face, "I have to do this again?"</p>
<p>"Uh, yes," Evie dipped her head in a matter-of-fact manner, "And if it goes well, then by the end of the week I'll have the full suit done. And we'll meet <em>again</em> so I can tailor that. And <em>then</em> we'll have our final fitting a couple days before the ball to make sure it's perfect."</p>
<p>The dread returned to Harry.</p>
<p>"That sounds perfect," Uma spoke for Harry as his immense displeasure made him speechless, "And please tell Ben thank you for us and if there's any way to repay him."</p>
<p>"Umm <em>no</em>," Harry insisted, shaking his head and turning to Evie, "Please tell Ben I give him my worst regards for putting me through this. In fact, could you actually make sure this is the most expensive suit he has ever had to pay for?"</p>
<p>"Harry, please," Uma pinched the bridge of her nose in disapproval, but she ended up chuckling at his melodramatic despair. She glanced up at Evie, "Don't listen to him. We are both very thankful."</p>
<p>Harry rolled his eyes. He hadn't wanted to go to the Ball and he hadn't wanted to play dress up either. Now Ben was robbing him of the consistent comfort his life by forcing both onto him.</p>
<p>The tugging feeling came back, but this time Harry acknowledged it like it was a mundane familiarity.</p>
<p>'<em>Maybe my heart is just trying to tell me how much I actually despise Ben,</em>' Harry joked internally, as much as he deep down knew that wasn't true.</p>
<p>"Okay, I'll let him know!" Evie said as she finished packing up her stuff and forced the briefcase shut, "I'm excited to see how this turns out, Harry. It will all be a lot more fun than you think."</p>
<p>"Any fun will be more fun than I think," Harry muttered, which resulted in Uma hitting him in the stomach.</p>
<p>Evie rolled her eyes, obviously taking no offense. She lifted her briefcase and made her way to the door. Uma followed after her to see her out. Evie paused before she exited and turned again to look at them one last time.</p>
<p>"Well, <em>I</em> had fun today and I look forward to seeing you both in a few days. And then... the Ball!" She bounced again in excitement and this time, it was too difficult for Harry to crush her excitement with another remark so he just chuckled.</p>
<p>"It's always a pleasure to see you, Evie," he admitted, which made her give a heartwarming smile before waving goodbye and making her grand exit. Uma remained with her head sticking out the door, most likely watching Evie make her way out of the restaurant. After a few moments she finally closed the door and turned back to Harry.</p>
<p>"Well thank you for not making things difficult for her," She taunted. Harry shrugged.</p>
<p>"I guess I must be off my game." Harry stared at Uma as she walked around the room to her desk. He felt his body becoming tense with a worry that she would bring up the Ben situation. Or that she would prod further as to where Harry had been the morning before. He had anticipated for her to say something, but she instead just grabbed a few papers and then looked at him saying:</p>
<p>"Now that that's all taken care of, are you ready to help me with some work?"</p>
<p>Harry couldn't say he was. He mostly wanted to grab a drink, sit down, and become lost in his thoughts again until he came to an official conclusion about everything he was feeling. Realistically, though, he considered that maybe stepping away from his thoughts and occupying himself with something as mundane as working would be beneficial. He was probably just overthinking everything. In a couple of weeks, he would see Ben again, and that should be enough to clear everything up, right? He could prove to himself how ridiculous all of these considerations were.</p>
<p>Until the Unity Ball, he would just have to take in all of his emotions with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>He muttered an unenthusiastic "Yes," to Uma's question and followed her into the restaurant to carry on the day with their work.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Roses are Red, Violets are Blue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>One... two... three...</em>
</p>
<p>The rhythm of the bells rang throughout the ballroom. The vast space of the room and the height of the walls allowed the chime to echo louder and more elegantly.</p>
<p><em>'Four... Five...'</em> Ben counted the chimes which marked the hour, <em>'...Six.'</em></p>
<p>Six o'clock.</p>
<p>It had been half an hour since the Unity Ball let it's first guests through the doors.</p>
<p>The ballroom was already full of people and the chatter was loud enough that it competed with the music of the orchestra. It was a friendly competition though, and one to be appreciated as the sound of the guests paired very nicely with the upbeat melody of the music. It was comforting to Ben since it made it so easy to let go of his own thoughts and worries and allow the noise of the atmosphere to consume him. The setting was within his element. Royal parties were as familiar to him as family. He had attended hundreds and hosted a significant fraction of them.</p>
<p>There were few occasions that brought comfort to Ben more than royal parties, but for some reason at this moment, Ben found himself to be almost restless. He wasn't fully anxious, but he was anxious enough that he could feel it there just under his skin. It wasn't necessarily a bad anxious either. It was a weird strain of... excitement? Anticipation?</p>
<p>He stood in the center of the ballroom with his slightly sweating hands folded in front of him. For the sake of the hundreds of guests he had to greet, he was constantly rubbing them on the sides of his linen pants. Evie would throw a fit if she saw him wiping his hands on the luxurious material.</p>
<p>Why was he so anxious? Why was the routine comfort of a royal ball not enough to keep him at ease? He desperately wanted to take this special night to relax and have a good time. It was about time he did so.</p>
<p>"I don't think you understand, Mal," Evie had continued speaking to Ben's fiancée beside him, "I haven't slept more than like three hours at a time in the last two <em>weeks</em>. I'm <em>exhausted</em>. I don't even know if I'm going to make it through this night." She clung to Doug's arm beside her, who patted her on the shoulder in sympathy.</p>
<p>"She's been working a lot harder than she needs to," Doug said, "I keep telling her breaks are good, but she just yells at me, and starts working even more obsessively."</p>
<p>Evie scoffed, "Well I'm <em>sorry</em> but I'm not going to put anything less than two-hundred percent effort into my work. I have a business standard to uphold!"</p>
<p>Doug only laughed and Mal smiled at her and said, "I'm certain your business will only be booming after this. I mean, it already is, but from your orders for this ball alone, it sounds like you'll be able to retire within the next year."</p>
<p>Evie's eyes lit up and she chuckled, "Oh, that does sound wonderful, but I think I'll be designing clothes for the rest of my life regardless. I <em>will</em>, however, be taking a much needed hibernation as soon as this dance is over."</p>
<p>Doug rolled his eyes, "I give it maybe a few days before your inner workaholic kicks in and you're taking more orders again."</p>
<p>Mal nodded, "Yeah, I can see that."</p>
<p>"You <em>guys</em>," Evie complained, but her voice trailed off as she didn't exactly have an argument against it. Instead, she just gave up and pulled Doug closer to her, resting her head against his shoulder. Mal watched the two, and almost instinctively tried to mirror the level of affection.</p>
<p>She slipped her arm underneath Ben's which almost took him by surprise. He felt her arm tighten passionately and she looked up at him and into his eyes. Ben's smile was late to return and he hoped she hadn't picked up on his awkward hesitation.</p>
<p>Mal looked stunning tonight. Evie had done a wonderful job on her dress to highlight every beautiful feature about her. It was difficult not to admire her, which made Ben feel all the more worse about his inability to give her the amount of affection she was expecting. He knew she deserved it. She deserved to hear Ben marvel over her beauty the entire night. There was so much she deserved.</p>
<p>"I know I've already told you this," Ben recited, "But I just can't get over how stunning you look tonight."</p>
<p>Mal blushed and her grip grew tighter.</p>
<p>"Evie, I think you did a very impressive job," Ben continued. Then after a quick glance around the ballroom, he cleared his throat and added, "With everyone you designed for."</p>
<p>"Thank you, Ben," Her gratitude shimmered in her eyes, then she gave him a knowing look, "But just you wait, you haven't seen <em>all</em> of my designs yet."</p>
<p>Ben knew exactly who Evie was talking about and almost instantly the simmering nervousness returned. Evie gave a smile of excitement to which Ben returned with a nod.</p>
<p>He had ordered a suit for Harry, which, guiltily enough was most likely the reason for Evie's lack of sleep the past two weeks. And Ben wasn't even certain Harry would show up. Since ordering the suit, he had gone back and forth as to whether or not doing so was even a good idea. Had it been a rude or inappropriate gesture? It was just a suit, and it wasn't like Harry had expressed a reason for not going that went past him just simply not wanting to. If it were so important for the Isle's integration that Harry showed up, then there couldn't really have been <em>that</em> much harm in it.</p>
<p>Ben had been so on-the-fence about the gesture that in some ways, the probability of Harry not showing up at all felt like the best outcome.</p>
<p>Ben had kept his eyes on the doors to the ballroom where every few seconds, a new set of people would pour through. Some were dressed in luxurious materials while others were presented in what was obviously the best they could afford. Almost all of them immediately made their way down the swede carpet rug which led directly to where Ben and Mal stood waiting to formally greet them and thank them for their attendance. A few paces behind Ben and Mal were Ben's parents Belle and Adam, who also participated in formally greeting the guests. Until the bells chimed for seven o'clock, when the food would be served, their job was to continue greeting the people.</p>
<p>"Carlos!" Evie's voice almost made Ben jump and suddenly the small group of them were fixated on the two boys approaching them. Ben was so spaced out staring at the doors he hadn't even noticed Carlos and Jay make their entrance.</p>
<p>Evie slipped out of Doug's arms when the boys were a few paces away and she pranced toward them in her heels to attack Carlos with a hug. The three of them laughed and Carlos struggled to make his way toward Ben and Mal with Evie now clinging to him.</p>
<p>"Oh my god, Evie," Carlos laughed, "Hello to you, too!"</p>
<p>"It's been <em>too long</em>!" Evie insisted with a frown. Carlos, Evie, and Jay joined the group, which allowed Mal to get her chance to slide away from Ben and embrace her friend.</p>
<p>"Yeah!" Mal agreed, "Just because you're in vet school now doesn't mean you can drop off the face of the Earth!"</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, guys," Carlos's smile grew with guilt, "Becoming a veterinarian is a lot worse than it sounds. You have to... <em>study</em>... like a <em>lot</em>..." Mal released Carlos from her embrace, which allowed him to turn to Ben and greet him with a half-hug.</p>
<p>"We're really glad you could make it, Carlos," Ben said with a smile, "We've all missed seeing you everyday."</p>
<p>"Thanks guys, I'm happy I could get away from the books for a night. But it better be worth it because I'm pretty sure I'm going to fail my exam on Monday."</p>
<p>"I think you'll be perfectly fine for one night," Jay said, shaking his head. The group one-by-one moved from greeting Carlos to greeting Jay- although everyone's excitement to see Jay wasn't as high as it was to see Carlos since they actually saw him far more frequently.</p>
<p>Jay hugged Evie first, then Mal. Then he turned to Ben to give him a firm, respectful handshake and did the same with Doug. Luckily, Ben didn't sense any animosity from Jay since the afternoon at the courtyard. The two seemed to have moved past the awkward exchange and while they never exactly came to an agreement, it was like they silently and mutually never brought up the subject again. That didn't mean Jay's uncertain presence didn't still bring discomfort to Ben, because it still did and Ben was always left wondering what exactly was going through Jay's head every time the two interacted.</p>
<p>"You two look beautiful," Jay complimented Evie and Mal, to which Evie gave a twirl, confidently showing off her dark blue dress.</p>
<p>"You like it?" Evie asked, "Not my best work but I'm still quite proud of it."</p>
<p>"Of course I like it, you're always outdoing yourself," He responded, then Mal pitched in.</p>
<p>"But look at <em>you two</em>," she said, turning the attention back onto Carlos and Jay, "Evie actually made you two look proper. I'm impressed." Mal gestured first to Carlos, who bashfully smoothed down his slick white-on-black suit. She then gestured to Jay who was dressed in a darker attire. His navy suit had an interesting shift of deep yet subtle colors. It was an innovative design for a suit and the essence of it felt very fitting for Jay's nature.</p>
<p>It almost made Ben wish he had asked for a bit more "adventurous" suit for this Ball- not that he wasn't happy with the extravagant royal blue and gold design he got. He certainly thought his suit was one of the best he had ever ordered; it was elegant as always and had a modern, minimalistic design to it which Ben appreciated. But Ben still wondered what Evie would have come up with had she known him as well as she knew Jay and Carlos.</p>
<p>Maybe the minimalism <em>was</em> the most fitting for Ben.</p>
<p>Ben readjusted the heavy crown on his head while the group finished complimenting each other. The bells chimed again to mark that a half hour had passed and simultaneously, Ben's hands grew sweaty again. It was now six-thirty.</p>
<p>"Has Jane seen you yet?" Mal asked, "I know you just got here but I would expect you two met up before, right?"</p>
<p>"Uh, no," Carlos scratched the back of his head in awkward guilt, "I haven't seen her in a while actually, she's been stressing over this party and I've been too busy with school the past few days. She's probably going to kill me for it when I do finally see her. But until then, I guess I'm Jay's date."</p>
<p>Jay reached over and ruffled his hair in brotherly affection, making Carlos duck out of the way and shove Jay's hand back. He then stepped closer and jabbed his fist into Jay's ribcage. Their laughter broke out and for a moment their fighting looked like it was going to escalate, but Evie stepped in waving her hand.</p>
<p>"Boys! Can you be civilized for one night please?" She insisted, "At least until you're not wearing <em>these</em>." She threw her finger out to point at their clothes. Jay and Carlos gave each other opposing side-eyes, but the two settled down rather quickly.</p>
<p>"Ugh," Evie shook her head "How do you two live together without killing each other?"</p>
<p>"He secretly loves me," Jay said with a wink. Carlos crossed his arms in dissatisfaction and Jay sneered at him. The rest of the group laughed until Mal straightened herself suddenly, peering past the group toward the ballroom doors. A smile grew on her face.</p>
<p>"Oh hey!" She said in excitement, "Uma's here!" The attention of the group mirrored Mal's as everyone turned to the doors.</p>
<p>There was a small scattered group of guests at the entrance and among them was Uma in a slim, shimmering blue-green dress. Her along with a man dressed in red beside her stood out like jewels in sand. It was difficult to look at the crowd and not instantaneously be drawn to the two. They didn't exactly look like they belonged together, but the two alone were simply eye-catching. Especially the man in red.</p>
<p>Ben had originally thought <em>Jay</em>'s suit was adventurous but this man's attire was simply a step past that. The boldness of the deep red wasn't something that was seen everyday. The red worked against a black to create an intricate floral design that covered the entirety of the suit and pants and the slick material created a subtle glimmering in the light which only worked to make him stand out more. It was loud, but in the most sophisticated way. The man was so well put together that Ben was left wondering which royal family he had come from and why he hadn't ever seen him before. He looked so... good.</p>
<p>Ben noticed his eyes were squinting as he watched the man and Uma. Once the guards had checked for their names and let them pass, they walked into the ballroom and examined their surroundings.</p>
<p>An excited squealing noise came from Evie, and she grasped Ben's arm, bouncing up and down in excitement.</p>
<p>"Look!" She prodded Ben, "Just look at him! Ugh, didn't I do the <em>best</em> job? I'm so proud of it, it came together so nicely and it fits him perfectly!"</p>
<p>Ben frowned in confusion.</p>
<p>Wait a second.</p>
<p>Ben continued staring at Uma and the man. Uma's eyes landed on the group down the swede carpet and she nudged the man beside her, who looked up as well to see the group. As soon as his eyes met Ben's from across the room, Ben was hit with a shock that made him almost unable to speak.</p>
<p>That was <em>Harry</em>.</p>
<p>And that was the suit Ben had ordered for him.</p>
<p>"Evie. You..." Ben couldn't take his eyes off Harry, who was now on his way over to greet him, "Wow. You did... a really good job."</p>
<p>The closer Harry got, the more Ben could fully recognize the features which made him Harry. He didn't have his hat or his hook- which certainly contributed to Ben's inability to instantly identify him. He had his hair combed neatly to the side which did a lot in changing the shape of his face. It made him look polished and more structured. Seeing him in perfectly fitted clothes was enough by itself to physically transform him. He even looked taller than normal.</p>
<p>Ben felt himself growing more tense at his approach.</p>
<p>Harry actually showed up.</p>
<p>Was that really a surprise?</p>
<p>"Thank you!" Evie said, "And you probably won't believe this, but he was actually a very enjoyable client to work with." When Uma and Harry were close enough, she jumped forward to greet him the same way she had greeted Carlos and Jay. "Harry!" She exclaimed before throwing her arms around him.</p>
<p>"Aye, Evie," Harry's voice lurched with the impact of her hug, "Ya' act like we didn't just see each other a day ago."</p>
<p>Evie held him tightly. "Ok but this is the first time I get to see you without the stress of a deadline putting so much pressure on me!" She released him and analyzed him from top to bottom, before gasping again, "And it's all put together and complete! You. Look. <em>Stunning</em>! Seriously. Like a <em>model</em>!"</p>
<p>Harry grinned, but it seemed to be more in response to Evie's excited nature rather than a thanks for the compliment. Evie moved on to give Uma a quick hug in greeting before everyone opened up the circle to welcome the two.</p>
<p>"Wow," Mal crossed her arms with a smirk growing on her face, "Is that <em>Harry Hook</em> I see?" Harry shrugged, then held his hands out to the side to present himself.</p>
<p>"In the flesh," He said, then he stopped himself and pinched at the opening of his suit, looking down at his body, "Or shall I say, in the fancy red silk."</p>
<p>"My God, I swear I didn't even recognize you at first," Mal continued with a shake of her head, clearly having as difficult of a time as Ben was believing that this elegantly constructed man was actually Harry, "You look incredible. Evie, once again, you've excelled."</p>
<p>Evie was bouncing with pride, her enormous smile indicating that very few things could possibly make her happier than seeing all her friends marvel over her work.</p>
<p>Jay scoffed in disbelief, "Wow, I didn't think I'd live to see the day <em>you</em> wore a <em>tie</em>." While his words teased Harry, his eyes remained lingering on him with a look that Ben had a difficult time identifying.</p>
<p>Harry laughed a short, breathy laugh. He subconsciously ran a finger along the top of his black tie, then he clicked his tongue at Jay, giving him a sly smile, "Oh Jay, are ya' glad ya' did, though?"</p>
<p>Jay huffed a laugh, rolled his eyes and- like he typically did in response to Harry- decided against replying. If there were any chance of Harry getting a compliment from Jay, he had lost it with that remark. Harry was, however, the type of person that would choose teasing someone over receiving a compliment from them any day. As expected, the corner of Harry's lips rose in satisfaction at Jay's retreat.</p>
<p>His eyes then moved onto Ben.</p>
<p>The two met each other's gaze with a silent knowingness, as if they were both simultaneously reminded that the people around them were unaware of their true familiarity. For all they knew, and all they <em>should</em> know, the only time Ben and Harry had spoken in the last two years was at the Isle's event two Saturdays before. And their acquaintanceship did not go beyond a mild irritation with each other. If anyone had asked, the only reason Harry received a Royal Invitation and the gift of a custom suit was in gratitude for stopping the thief at the event.</p>
<p>Not because of Ben's internal calling to integrate him into Auradon.</p>
<p>And certainly not because deep down he genuinely wanted him there. No, those reasons would betray Ben of all of the internal struggles he had been dealing with- which were better left a secret until he got over them. They would also betray him of the lies he currently had stacked up. If they found out Ben had felt a personal obligation to integrate Harry, they would ask why. Then they would find out he had met with him in secret. Again, they would ask why and then find out about the nonexistent curse and the overwhelming number of internal conflicts he was currently fighting through. They would find out about his feelings toward Mal.</p>
<p>That could not happen.</p>
<p>Ben straightened himself and habitually wiped his palms against his pants once more. He took in a breath to speak, but Harry had beat him to it.</p>
<p>"Your Majesty," Harry regarded him with a nod of his head. The knowingness had slipped out in his tone as well as his gaze. Ben felt his heart beat nervously. He noticed Harry's eyes looked slightly different. They were still sharp and intense as usual, but they weren't surrounded by a thick coat of black eyeliner. Ben began to wonder if this was the first time he had seen him without it, but after staring into his eyes for a few more seconds, he picked up on a thin dark line around them. Of course it was still there, it just was more regulated and carefully applied than usual.</p>
<p>"We're glad you could make it, Harry," Ben replied stiffly, nodding once back to him. He internally wished he didn't have to speak so formally to Harry and instead that he could say what actually came to his mind first. For example, something like, <em>'It's good to see you again, Harry. Trust me, being here won't be as awful as you think it will be. You're going to have fun. You're already stealing the show with how good you look anyways. Aren't you glad I ordered the suit for you, by the way? Yeah, no, of course you're not. Anyways, I'm sorry if all of this is a bit overwhelming, but I promise you'll find out how great Auradon actually is and it will be well worth it.'</em></p>
<p>Or maybe Ben would start with an apology for essentially backing him into a corner to attend. He'd admit that it probably wasn't the most appropriate thing to do, especially after how embarrassingly ignorant he acted the last time they spoke.</p>
<p>Actually. Maybe Ben just had to own it and tell Harry that he wasn't sorry for backing him into a corner. Deep down, Harry would probably admire the confident approach. After all, Harry did spend the entirety of the last event teasing him relentlessly. So, this could even things out.</p>
<p>Regardless of which route he decided he wanted to take, it wasn't like he could say any of it anyways, so he had to settle for formalities.</p>
<p>"Yes, well," Harry replied, "With the lovely invitation and the suit it was almost like... I had no choice <em>but</em> to attend. I assure you it was all very... <em>unnecessary</em>." Harry emphasized the word unnecessary with a tilt of his head and a spark of playful bitterness crossed his eyes. Uma nudged him hard with her elbow and he grunted as if he fully expected the scolding.</p>
<p>"He means he's very grateful to be here," Uma muttered, "And thank you for everything."</p>
<p>Ben laughed, turning to Uma, "It was the least I could do after saving my watch at the Isle." He glanced back at Harry, who was watching him in a manner which said he knew that wasn't true. Ben continued, "But anyways, Uma, you look lovely tonight. We are, of course, always happy to see you here."</p>
<p>"Yeah, Uma," Mal smiled with guilt, "We didn't mean to neglect you, we were all just distracted by Harry. You look amazing!"</p>
<p>"Oh don't worry about it," Uma shook her head with a laugh, "I was fully prepared for this guy to get all the attention tonight anyways. In all honesty, I'm just glad he's standing next to me right now, much less wearing dress shoes." Harry rolled his eyes at his captain, who then gave him another mocking grin.</p>
<p>Ben watched the two interact, wishing he didn't have to pretend to feel so out of place. He wanted to join in on the joking exchanges like Uma, Mal, Jay and Evie did, but Ben wasn't supposed to know Harry in the same way. Even though Ben <em>did</em> know Harry in some way, it still wasn't nearly the same manner as the group of "Villain Kids".</p>
<p>Ben shifted awkwardly, realizing the only other person in the group who was in the same boat as him was Doug. Simultaneously, he was also the only other one in the group who did not grow up on the Isle. The rest of them continued their small talk until another voice from behind interrupted, saving Ben from another few moments of what felt like social exile.</p>
<p>"Carlos!" The female voice called.</p>
<p>The sound of heels hitting the floor grew closer to the group. Everyone turned to see Jane rushing up to her boyfriend, her face twisted with relief to see him more so than excitement.</p>
<p>"Oh my gosh, Carlos," She said when her arms finally reached him, sliding around his neck in a hug, "Ugh, I'm so glad you're finally here!"</p>
<p>"Jane, hi!" Carlos's smile grew immensely, but Ben wondered if he was just more happy that Jane wasn't mad at him for not looking for her sooner, than he was to actually see her. Jane pulled away from him and the two held the other's hand whilst analyzing their appearance with loving eyes.</p>
<p>"Wow, you look gorgeous," Carlos stared at her with wide, dumbfounded eyes.</p>
<p>Well... Maybe he <em>was</em> more happy to see her. Ben swallowed guiltily as he realized that the former thought may have been a bit overly-pessimistic.</p>
<p>Was he projecting now?</p>
<p>"Thank you," Jane blushed, she ran her fingers through her own hair, which was tied up with a pink bow. Carlos continued to gawk over his girlfriend even as she turned to greet everyone else.</p>
<p>"Hey everyone," She smiled, exhaustion creeping through her voice. Several voices of the group greeted her back, including Ben's. "I hope you all are doing great and enjoying the party. Even though it hasn't technically started yet." She worriedly looked at her own watch.</p>
<p>Ben nodded, speaking for the group, "Yes, everything seems to be going well so far. I assume they're about to begin serving food?"</p>
<p>"Yeah," Jane answered, "My mom is about to give the welcome speech so I wanted to take my chance at a break and say hello." She leaned over and gave Carlos a quick kiss on the cheek. Ben felt Mal's arm twitch again, but this time, she didn't try to match anyone's loving affection. In fact, she didn't even sneak Ben a loving glance. She just watched Jane and Carlos with delightful approval while Ben was left worrying if she had internally given up on trying to win his affection.</p>
<p>Jane turned back to the rest of the group, her eyes scanning over each person. "It's really nice to see everyone here," Her eyes stopped at Harry. There was a momentary pause, where her face tightened in a struggle to remember who she was looking at. "Umm. Hi...?" She hung onto her last note, beckoning for someone to help complete her greeting.</p>
<p>Harry quickly glanced at Ben before answering Jane.</p>
<p>"Harry. We've met before."</p>
<p>"Harry! Right! You're the one that got the last Royal Invite," Jane twisted to give Ben a critical stare, "Which <em>you</em> said you <em>weren't</em> sending anymore out!" She grunted and immediately redirected her attention back onto Harry, "I hope the timing of that wasn't too inconvenient for you."</p>
<p>"Oh, very," Harry muttered with another glance to Ben, but this time his eyes lingered on him much longer. Ben felt obliged to apologize, but he had to silently remind himself about his decision to remain confident in his act of "convincing" Harry to come to the ball. As inconvenient as the timing of the invitation may truly have been.</p>
<p>"He's fine," Uma's gruff tone and rolling eyes said she was past her limits in having to correct Harry's persistent negativity about being there, "We had no problems with the timing. We're just glad he got one at all."</p>
<p>Jane chuckled, although there remained an ounce of confusion in her grin, "Well I hope it turns out to be a wonderful time."</p>
<p>"Thanks," Uma said before Harry had the chance to make another sarcastic remark, "I'm sure it will. So far, everything looks great. The decorations are beautiful."</p>
<p>"Yeah, Jane you did a great job putting everything together. It looks even better than last year," Mal agreed.</p>
<p>The ballroom <em>was</em> put together incredibly well. The vast room was dressed in gold decor from the jewels on the tables and walls to the glistening lights hanging from the ceiling and chandeliers. Circular tables filled the venue floor and each one presented an elegant centerpiece of blue and purple flowers. The blue and purple theme extended throughout the room in the form of flowers and ribbons. It was supposed to be not only an emblem for the King and Queen, but also a representation of Unity between the Isle and Auradon.</p>
<p>At the head of the ballroom was the Royal table, which was dressed in more blue and purple than the rest of the room. It was a beautiful, long table that would sit well over thirty people, including those that received the Royal Invite. With the amount of flowers and candles that embellished the table, Ben could see why it had taken Jane so much extra time and focus to plan this year.</p>
<p>Along the sides of the room were the enormous buffet tables which were dressed beautifully in blue, purple, and gold flowers and decor as well. Mostly, it was dressed with an overwhelming array of foods that could feed hundreds and hundreds of guests. The mere sight of it made Ben eager to taste everything he possibly could.</p>
<p>"Thank you guys,"Jane said, blushing at the compliments the group had given her, "Unfortunately though, my job isn't over. There's still the entire party left and <em>anything</em> could go wrong." The anxiety began returning to Jane's face in the form of wrinkles. Carlos rubbed her shoulder in reassurance.</p>
<p>"Nothing is going to go wrong. It'll go perfectly smoothly just like last year and the year before," He said, "...And like all the other events you've been in charge of."</p>
<p>Jane leaned into Carlos's comforting gesture. Carlos furrowed his eyebrows in thought and continued.</p>
<p>"In fact, the only party that has ever gone horribly wrong was the one <em>I</em> was in charge of... for your birthday-"</p>
<p>"Okay, let's not talk about parties being crashed right now. This one hasn't even started and you're already going to send me into a panic attack."</p>
<p>Ben's attention fluttered away from their conversation and crept back onto Harry, who was standing across from him with his hands in his pockets and searching around the rest of the ballroom with his eyes. His neutral expression made it difficult for Ben to read. He appeared intrigued by the setting, however he also appeared rather unimpressed. His searching around the room could be in admiration, or it could be in an attempt to find something worth any excitement.</p>
<p>Worry began creeping up alongside humiliation. How could he remain confident in the joy of the Unity Ball if Harry wasn't even impressed within the first ten minutes of arriving? Ben grew desperate for any reassurance of what Harry was thinking as he looked aimlessly around the room.</p>
<p>
  <em>Ding! Ding!</em>
</p>
<p>The sound of the bells marking the third quarter of the hour disrupted Ben's thoughts. His eyes darted to the golden watch on his wrist for confirmation that it was in-fact almost seven o'clock. Just as he checked the time, however, he was addressed by a voice from behind him.</p>
<p>"Your Majesty," it said.</p>
<p>Ben turned to see a man dressed in an elegant black and white uniform. He stood in a tall, well-mannered posture and his white glove held up in front of him a tray of a dozen sparkling champagne glasses.</p>
<p>The waiter bowed his head to Ben and Mal as the two exchanged an eager glance before reaching for a glass each.</p>
<p>"Thank you," Ben said with a polite grin before the waiter bowed again and moved to the rest of the group, allowing everyone to grab their own glass of champagne. More waiters filed into the ballroom, moving in a strategic order to hand out glasses to every guest in the room.</p>
<p>"Oh good," Jane said excitedly, as Carlos grabbed a glass of his own, then handed one to her, "My mom's speech should be right on time, then!"</p>
<p>One by one, each of Ben's circle of friends took their own glass until it got to Harry, who's interest seemed to have suddenly sparked back into his eyes. He grabbed for a glass with enthusiasm, but then paused.</p>
<p>"...Are these free?" He asked.</p>
<p>Ben wanted to chuckle at the question, but he refrained himself to a simple, humored smile and said, "Yes. All the food and drinks here are free. Well, except the ones from the bar."</p>
<p>"There's a <em>BAR</em>?" Harry's jaw dropped and Ben nodded in response, pointing off toward one of the corners of the ballroom where a beautiful, ornate bar was built into the wall. It was an exquisitely designed bar with an array of lavish liquors for those who wished for a classier drink a bit stronger than the complimentary champagne that was offered at royal parties.</p>
<p>"No way," Harry said in disbelief and the rest of the group laughed at the excitement that was so obviously building in his eyes.</p>
<p>"But you <em>do</em> have to actually pay for those," Ben clarified. Harry's body relaxed and he let out a sigh, still looking longingly toward the bar.</p>
<p>"Ah, well," he huffed, the excitement vanishing, "Can't have everything, I suppose." He looked down at the glass of bubbly champagne in his hands. He swirled it around before saying, "Looks like I'm getting drunk off champagne tonight, then," before he brought the glass to his lips and tilted it back to gulp down the entire serving in merely seconds.</p>
<p>"Harry, wait-" Evie started, but Harry had already finished off the glass before anyone could properly stop him.</p>
<p>Much like the others in the group, Ben stared with his mouth open in disbelief at Harry's inappropriate- yet rather impressive- action. Ben's hand came to his mouth to cover his impulse to break into laughter and he looked over at Uma, who had brought her hand to her forehead in embarrassment.</p>
<p>"Harry, that was for the toast," Uma said, "Fairy Godmother hasn't even started <em>talking</em> yet."</p>
<p>"What?" Harry said, letting out a laugh, "Oh shit- well then... Do I get a redo?" Uma shook her head and looked at Ben with apology in her eyes, but Ben was too preoccupied trying not to join the others in laughter to notice.</p>
<p>A waiter passed several feet from the group and Ben called out to stop him, grabbing another glass off of his tray to replace Harry's empty one. Harry reached out to take the new glass of champagne from Ben's hands, exchanging it with the empty glass which Ben placed back on the waiter's tray. As Harry took the new glass from Ben, he slipped him a look that wasn't exactly an apology, but definitely something similar. Ben held onto Harry's eyes in attempt to decipher what exactly the look meant but Harry had already looked away, and like everyone else in the ballroom, turned his attention to the stage at the front where Fairy Godmother now stood.</p>
<p>It wasn't until the music lowered to a silence and Fairy Godmother started speaking that Ben pried his focus from Harry to the stage.</p>
<p>"Everyone," Fairy Godmother started, a heartfelt smile spread across her face, "It's wonderful to see so many people here tonight. Thank you <em>so</em> much for coming to the 3rd annual Unity Ball. Whether you come from Auradon or the Isle, we would like to welcome you and we hope you will have a wonderful time during the events we have planned for tonight. We also hope that everyone here can use the opportunity this ball gives us to meet each other and celebrate the magic that brings us together so that even after the clock strikes twelve, the magic of unity will remain with us."</p>
<p>The audience clapped in support of her sentiment. Ben looked down at Mal beside him who was smiling joyously at Fairy Godmother's words. He moved to put his arm around her shoulder, which made her turn to look back at him with admiration twinkling in her eyes. The gesture was quick, but Ben knew even something as small as that meant a lot to her.</p>
<p>She looked back at Fairy Godmother and as soon as her eyes were turned forward, Ben found his own eyes glancing toward Harry again. Coincidentally, Harry had already been watching Ben and Mal's brief interaction, so the two inevitably met eyes again. If Harry's expression had been difficult to read before, this one was almost impossible. Ben's only guess was that Harry was most likely seeing past his methodical gesture to Mal and trying to tell him with his eyes that he was. Even then, Ben wasn't entirely sure. It was an odd, unfamiliar expression from Harry. Ben could <em>only</em> guess.</p>
<p>Fairy Godmother continued, saying, "So before we carry on with our feast, I would be honored to give the first toast of tonight," She raised her own glass of champagne and everyone in the room followed suit. She smiled, "To the Isle and Auradon coming together as one!"</p>
<p>The ballroom erupted with cheers followed by the chimes of glasses clinking together.</p>
<p>"Cheers!" Mal said, clinking her glass against Ben's first.</p>
<p>"Cheers, everyone!" Evie said. After she clinked her glass against Doug's, she raised it to the center of the group of friends, inviting them all to join in. More chimes echoed in the air as the eight of them met their glasses in the center in celebration before taking their own drink.</p>
<p>As Ben took a sip of his champagne, he saw Harry utilizing the appropriate moment to swallow over half of his glass. Well, at least he had refrained from chugging the <em>entire</em> glass this time.</p>
<p>Jay narrowed his eyes at Harry's half empty glass and said, "Wow, I'm impressed, you really withheld yourself this time, Harry." Harry raised his eyebrows at Jay's sarcasm and Ben could see a smile inching its way onto his face.</p>
<p>"Aye, don't be too impressed, Jay," Harry replied. He nodded toward the nearest buffet table which displayed a large, iced basket of self-serving champagne bottles as he said, "I'm planning to drink that entire table of free champagne before the end of the night."</p>
<p>"Well there goes my hope that you had grown out of your reckless-drinking stage," Jay took another sip of his champagne. Harry was analyzing the way he drank and laughed.</p>
<p>"Grown out of reckless-drinkin'? Is that what ya' call taking childish sips of slightly alcoholic sparkling water?" He gestured to Jay's mostly full glass. Jay looked down at his own glass, then back at Harry. With the way Jay was staring at Harry, Ben could have guessed he was mentally throwing daggers at him. Jay couldn't have been genuinely annoyed at Harry though. He, of course, knew what he was getting himself into by initiating the teasing in the first place.</p>
<p>Jay finally let a small grin slip onto his lips.</p>
<p>"Yes, Harry," He said, "You'd be surprised to know that having an actual job makes you a bit more responsible."</p>
<p>Ouch. Ben attempted to give Mal a side glance to see if she shared the same anticipation of their bickering escalating in any way, but Mal was just rolling her eyes along with Evie. As if this were a normal, everyday occurrence. Carlos seemed to be laughing with them too. Uma as well. The only ones who gave indication of discomfort were Jane and Doug.</p>
<p>Figures.</p>
<p>"Responsible? Or Boring?" Harry asked, clearly not taking offense to anything Jay said, "Because having to manage your <em>champagne</em> intake sounds more borin' than responsible to me. Doesn't sound like the most tempting trade for having a job."</p>
<p>"I guess there also goes the hope that you'd actually consider getting a job too. Why would a pirate work when he could just drink?"</p>
<p>Harry gulped down the rest of his champagne, almost like he was intentionally proving Jay's point, before saying, "Aye, I think you're just sour I could always out-drink ya."</p>
<p>"Oh is that how you remember it, now?"</p>
<p>"It <em>has</em> been a while," Harry suggested, "Perhaps you'd want to prove me wrong?"</p>
<p>Carlos laughed, "I actually think that would be pretty entertaining to see." Jane immediately whipped his arm with the back of her hand in disapproval. She scoffed at her boyfriend enabling the two and Carlos held up his hands in innocence.</p>
<p>"Sorry, Jay," Mal piped in, "But my money is on Harry for this one. I don't think I've seen you touch alcohol in months." Ben was surprised that it was now <em>his</em> partner enabling the irresponsible behavior, although unlike Jane, he could admit it <em>would</em> be an entertaining scenario.</p>
<p>Uma groaned, "Harry, you promised you were going to be <em>relatively</em> good tonight."</p>
<p>"It would be nothin' more than a friendly competition," Harry insisted with his eyes still locked on Jay's. Again, the way the two were staring at each other gave off conflicting waves. On one hand, Ben could guess the two hated each other's guts, but on the other hand, he could guess that all of this truly <em>was</em> in good fun.</p>
<p>Ben wondered if he'd be more confident their quarrel was friendly had Jay not spoken so negatively of Harry to him that day in the courtyard. Jay seemed so serious in his warning against Harry's nature that it just didn't make sense why that conversation would have occurred in the first place if they were genuinely on good terms with one another.</p>
<p>Maybe this was just Ben overthinking things again. Jay and Harry shared a complicated life growing up on the Isle, so this may just be an example of a typical friendly rivalry that came out of it. This most likely <em>was</em> how their acquaintanceship went. Now that Ben thought of it, he had never seen them have an average, everyday conversation. It was always teasing and bickering.</p>
<p>What would a friendship like that be like, anyways? Exhausting, most likely. But Harry certainly seemed to enjoy every second of their bickering. Jay's stance on their dynamic, however, remained a mystery.</p>
<p>"Ugh," Evie sighed, "I don't think anything good will come of this."</p>
<p>Jay took another slow sip of his champagne before shaking his head, saying, "Yeah. It's very tempting. But I'll have to pass."</p>
<p>"What a shame," Harry gave a disappointed exhale.</p>
<p>Just then, the bells rang to mark the seventh hour of the night which simultaneously marked the official start of the ball. The orchestra on the stage started again with a soft note before beginning a cheery melody.</p>
<p>"Ladies, ladies, you're both pretty" Jane jumped back in, "Are we done now? Because we really need to begin the dinner or else our entire schedule will be thrown off completely."</p>
<p>"Right," Ben agreed, despite believing it to be an awful exaggeration. He looked toward the Royal Table where his parents, along with the Charmings were now walking toward. "We should probably be seated so they can serve us."</p>
<p>As soon as Ben agreed with her, Jane was already tugging on Carlos's arm to drag him toward the Royal table. Doug held out his arm for Evie to take so the two could follow Jane and Carlos.</p>
<p>"Well then," Harry said as the group began to relocate. He tipped his empty glass in the direction of the buffet table and said, "Time for a refill." Harry gave Jay a grin and- from the little that Ben could see- a wink as well, before he started toward the table of food and drinks. Jay remained where he was for a moment, watching Harry walk off with a look of lighthearted agitation before he took another silent sip of his champagne.</p>
<p>"I probably should've hired someone to babysit him tonight," Uma muttered to Jay in regards to Harry, "Because God knows I won't be doing it." Jay huffed a laugh as Uma took a large, exhausted gulp of her champagne. She then motioned Jay toward the Royal table and the two decided to make their way over there together.</p>
<p>Mal was left to beckon Ben to follow the group. Ben glanced discreetly toward the buffet table Harry had left for, then to the Royal Table, then back to Mal. He gave her a reassuring smile, then motioned her to follow Uma and Jay.</p>
<p>"Go ahead," Ben said, swirling the champagne glass in his hand, "I'll be right there."</p>
<p>Mal's smile faltered for a split second at Ben's words, but she recovered it quickly and nodded before she turned to join the two.</p>
<p>Ben stood back to watch her trot away toward her friends, then he looked again toward Harry across the ballroom. He brought his own champagne to his lips and took a long drink to clear half of his glass before starting toward the buffet table.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Ain't He Charming?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was a frosty chill coming from the metal crate of ice that held numerous unopened bottles of champagne. Arranged around the crate was a sea of pre-filled glasses for the guests to grab their refill with ease. Standing alongside the table was Harry who had already selected his next glass and was currently working to finish it- although not as deliberately as he finished the previous two.</p>
<p><em>'It's really good to see you here, Harry,'</em> Ben thought, but quickly shook the thought out of his head. No that sounded too intimate.</p>
<p><em>'Hey, thanks for showing up.'</em> No, that sounded too short and passive aggressive.</p>
<p><em>'I'm glad you could make it.'</em> Too generic.</p>
<p>Why was he even overthinking a simple greeting, anyways? Ben cleared his throat as he approached the buffet table, a couple feet down from Harry.</p>
<p>"Well look who decided to give an Auradon party a chance after all," He decided to start with. Harry seemed to have felt Ben's approach because he turned to look at him with sly, accusatory eyes.</p>
<p>"Aye, you and I both know this is <em>far</em> from my own free will," He said, rocking his head to the side in defeat, "Although, I must say I admire your persistence and I'm rather impressed by your ability to entrap me like this. Checkmate I guess, yeah?"</p>
<p>Ben scratched the side of his head awkwardly, just below his crown and momentarily struggled to formulate a response. <em>'Whatever you do, don't apologize,'</em> he reminded himself.</p>
<p>"Well, you did give me the idea that I could have people's heads cut off at the snap of my finger. So I'm glad the invitation and the suit were enough to convince you, otherwise I would've had to resort to <em>that</em>, yknow?"</p>
<p>Harry now turned toward Ben fully and leaned against the buffet table. He squinted at him in a playful interest.</p>
<p>"How very tyrannical," He said, looking him up and down, "I like it."</p>
<p>Ben let out a huff of a laugh, internally feeling triumphant by the response he had received from his joke. He felt the muscles in his face tightening into an involuntary smile and when he realized he couldn't fight it off, he decided to hide it by bringing his glass to his lips and sipping the rest of its alcoholic contents.</p>
<p>"So when <em>is</em> my sentence over?" Harry asked after a few seconds of watching Ben finish his drink.</p>
<p>"Sentence?"</p>
<p>"Yes, my prison sentence," He said, "When can I be free to leave?"</p>
<p>Ben raised a questioning eyebrow, but shook his head when he realized he was referring to the ball, "The party started a minute ago, Harry. You can't already be miserable."</p>
<p>"Oh I wouldn't say I'm <em>miserable</em>," He held up the half-empty glass he was working on, "The two and a half drinks I've already gone through are definitely preventing that."</p>
<p>Ben narrowed an eye at him. Obviously Harry was exaggerating his "misery" for the dramatic effect. In no way could he possibly be having that bad of a time, and Ben knew that, but he couldn't help but feel slight disappointment by Harry's reminder that he didn't want to be there in the first place. Even if it <em>was</em> a joke.</p>
<p>"Well I'm glad our free drinks are being put to some use. Even if it's just to help a pirate get through a dreadful Royal Ball."</p>
<p>Harry hummed a laugh, then shrugged, "Say, maybe by my sixth drink I'll even have some <em>fun</em>."</p>
<p>"Oh, so in a couple minutes from now?" Ben pointed at Harry's current drink, "Because at this rate, that's what it seems like."</p>
<p>"Okay, <em>Jay</em>. No need for the lecture." He downed the rest of his champagne and set the empty glass on the table before selecting a new, full one. Ben felt a simmering in his stomach as he watched Harry so deliberately handle the alcohol. Harry's urgency in his drinking definitely did not help reassure Ben that his desperation to escape the party was just a joke. And on top of that, the amount and speed in which he was flying threw them was slightly concerning.</p>
<p>But Harry was a pirate. Drinking is what they did best, right? Aside from stealing, of course.</p>
<p>He'd be fine.</p>
<p>"Don't worry," Harry continued, as if he were reading Ben's thoughts, "I'll drink this next one at Jay's responsible rate if it comforts His Majesty." He selected another drink from the buffet table, which he handed to Ben after noticing his empty glass. Ben set the empty one down and took the new one from Harry's hands.</p>
<p>"I mean, on one hand I do want you to have fun," Ben shrugged, "But on the other, I want you to actually remember the party."</p>
<p>"That's funny, because I wasn't planning for <em>either</em> of those to happen."</p>
<p>Ben tilted his head at Harry's stubbornness. The frustration he had felt before began itching under his skin again. At the same time, it was difficult for Ben to hold back an expression of amusement.</p>
<p>Back and forth. Their stubbornness was going to be bouncing back and forth like this until one of them gave in. Unfortunately, Harry seemed to have an arsenal of retorts handy for anything Ben could possibly say. Weapons of words, each awaiting their moment to fire back no matter how clever Ben thought he was being.</p>
<p>He thought simply getting Harry to show up to the ball was the ultimate move- or as Harry had so eloquently put it- the checkmate, but it was beginning to be more obvious that him showing up wasn't Ben's main goal. It was getting him to enjoy it, or at least have an open mind about it, that was the real conquest. And Harry was definitely going to make it as difficult as possible for Ben to see any sort of open-mindedness as a retaliation for forcing him to be there. With Harry's arsenal of snarky responses, there wasn't much Ben could do except keep playing and try to keep up. Unfortunately in this game of chess, the King really was in check.</p>
<p>"Well," Ben faked a look of consideration, "I guess I'm just going to have to make it a law that you try to have fun at this point."</p>
<p>"A law? Now that's just an abuse of power, Ben." He shook his head in disappointment, "You see, this is why I prefer the Isle over Auradon. It's the only place safe from your corrupt leadership."</p>
<p>Ben couldn't withhold a laugh. But then his eyebrows furrowed questioningly at Harry's argument.</p>
<p>"I mean..." Ben started, and before he fully considered it, proceeded to say, "You <em>do</em> know I own the Isle, right?"</p>
<p>Harry narrowed his eyes, then raised an eyebrow. He looked almost taken aback by Ben's statement, which Ben hadn't realized until after he said it just how presumptuous it came across as. Harry scoffed a short laugh and shook his head again.</p>
<p>"Wow, Ben. That is the sexiest thing you've ever said."</p>
<p>Ben was mid-sip when he choked on his champagne at Harry's statement. He covered his mouth and raised his eyebrows, looking back up at Harry like he was searching for clarification that what he heard was what Harry had really said. Meanwhile, Harry gave Ben nothing more than a side-glance and a small crack of a grin before he took his own content sip of champagne and looked back over at the Royal Table.</p>
<p>"Well, Mr. Tyrant," Harry continued while Ben was still trying desperately to acknowledge the previous remark, "I think everyone is waitin' on ya' over at the table there."</p>
<p>Ben glanced toward the Royal Table as well where he could see their friends getting seated and conversing happily. None of them, except for maybe Jane, appeared concerned about Ben's whereabouts and in a rush to move things along. But, Harry was right in reminding Ben that everyone was very much dependent on the King being seated for the food to be served.</p>
<p>"So," Harry continued slowly, as he blatantly reached toward the crate of the unopened, champagne bottles on display, "I'm going to gladly take one of these free complimentary bottles- which probably costs more than my own life- and I guess I'll meet ya' over there?"</p>
<p>Harry started away before Ben could even try to find his response- or even explain to him that the bottles were for glass refills only. He was left still struggling to call Harry back so that he could at least manage to talk to him about what he intended to in the first place.</p>
<p>Which was...</p>
<p>Um..</p>
<p>There <em>was</em> a reason why Ben came over to speak to Harry alone in the first place, wasn't there?</p>
<p>Ben was left watching Harry stride away toward the Royal Table with the entire bottle of champaign he had claimed in hand. His eyes then scanned over the table where Mal, his parents, and all of his friends were sitting down and chattering excitedly to one another. He remained where he was for one more moment before shaking his head and following after Harry.</p>
<p>Ben eagerly made his way to join his friends and family at the table and he arrived just after Harry- which he noticed had garnered a skeptical glance from Jay's direction. As Ben made his way toward his seat, he wondered if he had done anything besides merely speaking to Harry that would warrant any further skepticism from Jay. The last thing he wanted at this party was to worry about <em>that</em>.</p>
<p>With his face held straight, Ben forced himself to overlook the concerns regarding Jay. He took his chair beside Mal which was positioned accordingly at the center of the Royal Table. To his right, his mother Belle and his father along with the Fairy Godmother and the rest of the Royal council. To the left of him sat Mal, then Uma, and the rest of his friends.</p>
<p>"Isn't the turn out wonderful?" Belle leaned over to whisper excitedly to her son. Her eyes were gleaming as she watched the hundreds of guests before them. Ben gave his mom a smile of agreement.</p>
<p>"Yeah, Mom, it's great to see the people so excited again. I guess it's pretty reassuring for me knowing everyone's morale has lifted."</p>
<p>"I've heard nothing but positives about the program so far. Your father and I both met many new faces while welcoming the guests and everyone was very eager to praise what you're doing for them," She put her hand on Ben's arm in delighted approval, "But I'm sure you got quite the amount of praise during the welcoming, yourself, didn't you?"</p>
<p>Ben opened his mouth to speak, but became hesitant when he realized he and Mal had spent the majority of the "welcoming" time talking to his friends rather than actually greeting the guests as he was supposed to.</p>
<p>"Yes, of course," he said, which brightened her smile.</p>
<p>"That's great," she said and took a moment to look at Ben with proud eyes before continuing, "But remember, raising everyone's morale is the easy part, Ben. It's maintaining that morale that's difficult."</p>
<p>Ben felt his heart begin to beat faster as Belle went on.</p>
<p>"So this ball is the perfect opportunity to begin doing so. You have everyone already in high spirits here. Take advantage of it by talking to as many people as possible. I know you already know this, but just to remind you, simply wearing a crown will only gain you so much respect. Right now, most of the people have only seen your crown. They know who they're <em>supposed</em> to follow. You need to show them who they should <em>want</em> to follow. Place yourself beside them. Make a personal connection with the people. The best thing you can do is maintain morale while you have it."</p>
<p>Ben kept his eyes forward and he bit the inside of his lip in partial consideration. He didn't exactly know how to respond. Not that he didn't know what to say- it was more like he didn't think there was much benefit in saying anything he <em>wanted</em> to say. His mother was right in acknowledging that Ben already knew this. He felt his leg grow restless under the table.</p>
<p>Belle added to her mini lecture when Ben decided against responding; "We do trust you will do the best you can. We're proud of what you are doing so far and we just want to see you utilize every opportunity to keep it up. Just because this is a party, doesn't mean you're off your job. Unfortunately, a King is always working."</p>
<p>Ben trusted that her remark came from good intentions, but the statement was lacking just enough humor that it came across as a passive scolding. And it was difficult for Ben to take it as anything but that.</p>
<p>Belle gave him one last supportive smile before turning back to her husband and the Charmings on the other side of her. Ben sucked in a breath to regain the regular, calmed speed of his heart and exhaled before he turned to Mal on the left of him.</p>
<p>"Is everything alright?" Mal asked, searching his face for a sign of clear emotion.</p>
<p>"Yeah, of course," Ben said before he fully shook off the slight aggravation. Mal looked once towards Belle, then back at Ben. Her lips parted as if she were about to speak, but the attention was quickly redirected at the sound of Harry's voice.</p>
<p>"I didn't realize there was going to be assigned seating here," He huffed, tapping the name tag on the table in front of him. He squinted at the lettering which most likely had his name printed on it, then scanned the rest of the table to look grumbly at everyone else's name tags.</p>
<p>"Yep," Uma told him, patting the surface of the table across from her where Harry's name tag was, "And you're assigned the chair right in front of me. So I can keep my eye on you the entire time."</p>
<p>"Ah," Harry raised his eyebrows, pulling out his chair, "Sounds like quite the privilege for ya', then."</p>
<p>Ben watched them a couple chairs down, subconsciously smiling to himself as their jokes fortunately provided an immediate distraction which allowed the small amount of his aggravation to wane almost fully away.</p>
<p>Uma chuckled, "Evie it seems like your suit has made Harry pretty full of himself."</p>
<p>Before Evie- or even Harry- could respond, a short laugh came from Jay.</p>
<p>"Mmm, I don't think the suit really changed anything."</p>
<p>Harry narrowed his eyes at Jay and the two were once again sneering at each other. Sarcasm radiated over Harry's face and by now Ben was sure he could spot his iconic, taunting expression seconds before it was physically on his face. Although it was the perfect opportunity for Harry to fire back at Jay- and he certainly looked more than willing to- he actually decided against responding. To Ben's surprise, he bit his tongue and simply shrugged one shoulder as the rest of the table laughed.</p>
<p>Just then, the table's laughter receded as another face approached.</p>
<p>'<em>Speaking of 'Full of himself'</em>,' Ben thought as his eyes fell onto Chad's approaching figure.</p>
<p>"Sorry I'm late, everyone," Chad's fingers adjusted his pink tie as soon as he reached the table. He looked down the row of chairs to analyze everyone's seating arrangement, despite the arrangement never differing too much from the many previous royal parties thrown. Chad, being the son of the Charmings, always sat across from Ben. Well, across and one to the left of Ben (since no one was ever actually seated directly in front of the King). He lifted his nose and continued his grand introduction, "Apparently after ten years on the job my maid suddenly forgot how to properly press a suit."</p>
<p>He smoothed down his baby blue suit and pulled out the open chair.</p>
<p>"It was a mess to fix," He went on, scoffing, "Quite literally, the biggest inconvenience. Ever."</p>
<p>It wasn't until Chad sat down that Ben realized he had been seated right next to Harry. This realization immediately made Ben hold his breath.</p>
<p>Oh great.</p>
<p>If there were a single individual that represented everything Harry had described he hated about Auradon, it was Chad Charming. Ben's former friend was harmless, but he definitely hauled around a great big tendency to place himself on the not-so-friendly side of others' rather quickly after meeting them. Especially to those that were the most different from himself like, say, those from the Isle. This tendency was, of course, due to his impeccable lack of self awareness when it came to his treatment of others. Well honestly, even knowing Chad for all of his life, Ben still did not know if it was a lack of self-awareness, or if Chad really just didn't care at all how he sounded to other people. Regardless, Chad Charming was possibly the worst candidate to exemplify to Harry how great and open-minded Auradon really was.</p>
<p>On the other hand, Harry Hook represented everything <em>Chad</em> disliked about the <em>Isle</em>. Unpredictable, boisterous, and rather terrifying (if you didn't know him).</p>
<p>So long as the two were their true selves, this dinner was only going to be disastrous.</p>
<p>"Hi, Chad," Ben said, "You're not too late, so don't worry about that."</p>
<p>"We couldn't have started without you," Mal added. Ben could almost feel the dishonesty in that statement. Chad, of course, smiled an overconfident smile of agreement.</p>
<p>"You know, I figured," Chad said, "But I didn't want to leave everyone waiting too long. For a moment I actually worried I'd have to show up with a suit completely covered in wrinkles," He shook his head in frustration, "But I spent too much on this suit to let <em>that</em> happen. Luckily, it worked out."</p>
<p>Ben wanted to throw his hands to his forehead listening to Chad. It became incredibly difficult to even look at Harry to see his expression, but he managed to.</p>
<p>Harry appeared less annoyed than expected. With an eyebrow cocked in bewilderment, he seemed more... intrigued by Chad's account than anything else- as superficial as the problem was from a perspective like Harry's. He looked ready to laugh, and Ben could only pray that Harry didn't make a criticizing joke out of it. Maybe he should have made sure beforehand that Jane sat them as far away from each other as possible.</p>
<p>"Well," Evie piped in with a polite smile, "Whoever managed to get it pressed did a great job. It looks very clean and smooth, Chad. And of course, very well put together."</p>
<p>"Oh," Chad smiled and sat up straighter at the compliment, "Well thank you. Yes, luckily my <em>second</em> maid was around to get the job done correctly."</p>
<p>At this point, Harry's eyes were traveling around the table almost like he was desperate for someone else to be as baffled by Chad's words as he was. Everyone was, however, far more familiar with Chad's tendencies, which left Harry singled out in disbelief. At least he wasn't annoyed so much as he was entertained.</p>
<p>Ben noticed that Harry's eyes became locked with Evie's across the table and the two seemed to have had almost a quick, telepathic conversation with each other. Evie shook her head, meanwhile, Harry looked back at Chad beside him. A smile started to creep onto his lips and at the same time, nervousness began creeping into Ben's stomach.</p>
<p>Harry roughly exhaled out a breath of relief and said, "Thank <em>God</em> for having a backup maid."</p>
<p>"Right?" Chad said, unknowingly playing into Harry's sarcasm, "My mother is always telling me I don't need more than one maid, but if this isn't proof enough of the benefits, then I don't know what is."</p>
<p>"Your mother, as in Cinderella, right?"</p>
<p>"Uh... Yeah?"</p>
<p>"So... that makes you Chad Charming, then?"</p>
<p>Harry's eyes brightened in enthusiasm, but knowing him, it was a hundred percent exaggerated. He turned in his chair to where he was fully facing Chad, "...<em>The</em> Chad Charming? Wow, I've heard so much about you."</p>
<p>"Oh- well..." Chad's grin returned as he tried without much success to hide his dignified smile at the sudden starstruck 'fan', "All good things, I hope?"</p>
<p>"Of course. I mean, there wouldn't <em>be</em> anything bad to hear about you, would there?"</p>
<p>"I mean," Chad scoffed and there was a sudden bashfulness in his eyes as he accepted such a compliment. He fixed the collar on his dress shirt before slightly puffing out his chest and shrugging, "I'd like to think not."</p>
<p>Huh. Where exactly was Harry going with this? Complimenting was not the first line of action Ben expected of him regardless of whether or not the compliments <em>were</em> mocking. Harry didn't strike Ben as someone who would enable the ego of an upper-class figure such as Chad, even for the fun of it. He got far too much joy from straightforward teasing- at least that's what Ben thought. Ben remained still and with a quick glance around the table, noticed everyone else seemed quite lost as to what game Harry was playing. Everyone except maybe Evie.</p>
<p>Harry chuckled and then in a smoother, quieter voice said, "Right. And so far I certainly don't <em>see</em> anything bad." He turned away to take another drink of his champagne. Chad's sudden shift in posture told Ben that he was taken aback by such a forward compliment but his cocky smile made it clear he wasn't exactly <em>surprised</em> to receive it.</p>
<p>When Harry pulled away, it was like Chad was physically drawn closer. As if Harry being so upfront in his praise had completely captivated Chad. Granted, the quickest way to maintain Chad's attention was to become a dispenser of words he wanted to hear. Harry had set himself up appropriately.</p>
<p>It was like he knew that being the battery to fuel Chads ego was a surefire way to keep him talking to him.</p>
<p>But... What for?</p>
<p>"So... Um..." Chad cleared his throat, "Who exactly are you? Are you from another kingdom? Because I've never seen you before."</p>
<p>Ben was almost certain that Chad had met Harry before, or at least had some interaction. But one, that was some time ago and two, Harry did currently look like an entirely different person. If Ben hadn't immediately recognized him, how could he expect Chad to? That was, if Chad even bothered to remember him in the first place.</p>
<p>Harry glanced at the others at the table before another mischievous look crossed his face. He turned fully to face him once again and held out his hand.</p>
<p>"Prince Harry," He introduced himself. His eyes drifted off to the right briefly before adding, "Of Neverland. It's a pleasure to meet you."</p>
<p>Immediately, Ben noticed Jay and Uma shaking their heads. Evie's eyes were darting back and forth between Harry and Chad with entertainment, but also a small look of skepticism.</p>
<p>"Huh. Neverland?" Chad squinted his eyes, "I wasn't aware Neverland had a kingdom."</p>
<p>Again, Harry's eyes bounced off in thought before returning to Chad and saying, "...It's a newer monarchy."</p>
<p>"Oh, that's interesting. What are you doing here in Auradon, then?"</p>
<p>Harry gestured to Ben, "Well His Majesty, King Benjamin sent me a royal invite. And, of course, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make allies for our kingdom."</p>
<p>"Make allies... at the Unity Ball?" Chad was visibly confused, but Harry was so assuring in his own statement that it was enough to convince anyone.</p>
<p>"I mean, what's a more suiting occasion?" Harry asked.</p>
<p>Ben felt his lips grow tense in an attempt to hide an oncoming laugh at how ridiculous- yet faithful Harry was being to his bit. But then Harry inched closer to Chad and put his arm around the back of his chair. It very easily could have been interpreted as a casual, friendly gesture, but the forwardness of it and the way Harry was leaning closer to Chad made Ben's laugh slip away.</p>
<p>Wait.</p>
<p>"If I'm being honest, though," Harry said in a lowered voice, "Our kingdom is unsure of who the crown will be passed down to. So by our law, the first of me and me dozen brothers and sisters to get married will be the one who takes it."</p>
<p>Chad's face was clearly struggling to follow, but he was nodding. Harry went on.</p>
<p>"...So we are all currently looking for a suitable royal partner in hopes of marriage and taking the throne."</p>
<p>Suddenly Chad's face lit up. Clearly, the topic of taking a throne completely sparked his interest.</p>
<p>"Oh-... Um... H- How many sisters do you have?" He looked around senselessly, "Are they here right now?"</p>
<p>"Uh..." Harry exchanged another glance with Evie again before letting out a quiet laugh, "...eight. And no, they couldn't make it." Just as quickly as Chad's eyes had brightened in hope, they diminished in disappointment.</p>
<p>"Oh, well that's unfortunate," Chad said, struggling to hide the obvious disappointment, "I would love to meet them- I mean... the rest of your family."</p>
<p>Harry snickered before finally leaning away from him, saying, "Aye, slow down there, Tiger. Most people wait until at least after the first date for that."</p>
<p>Again, Chad's face twisted in confusion. It was clearly evident, by the looks on all the friends' faces that he was, in fact, the only one <em>unaware</em> of the flirtatious motives behind Harry's advances.</p>
<p>It made sense. Chad's world was molded by traditional values. Sure, his father made a rather progressive move by marrying Cinderella- a mistreated maid with merely nothing to her name- but that was pretty much the extent of progression in his bloodline. Cinderella had adapted fairly quickly to life as a princess and it was almost instantly back to the traditional ways of their kingdom after that. And Chad Charming got to grow up in his castle surrounded by those values and very little else.</p>
<p>He paid minimal attention to concerns that didn't involve his path to a throne or anything really that placed him in some sort of social limelight. Because of this one-track, traditionally-constructed mind of his, there probably wasn't even the slightest consideration on his part, that this "<em>prince's</em>" intentions could possibly be romantic. It's not like a man hitting on a man was <em>unheard</em> of to Chad; it just never really happened in a conventional royal setting (at least not so openly). So the idea of it happening right in front of him- <em>to</em> him- was so unplanned in his mind that no matter how blunt Harry could possibly be, it was most likely going to go completely over Chad's head.</p>
<p>But it wasn't going over anyone else's head. With Evie and Mal chuckling under their breath, Jay and Uma rolling their eyes in disapproval, and Carlos, Doug, and Jane either uninterested or shifting in their seats awkwardly, there was a unanimous understanding of what Harry was doing.</p>
<p>But that left Ben in an odd position. Because while Ben could clearly see what Harry was doing, there was a bubbling frustration within him as to <em>why</em> he was doing it.</p>
<p>Chad was an attractive guy. He was sophisticated, well-dressed, and had a lot to his name. Objectively speaking, Chad would be the picture-perfect candidate for many to pursue. But Harry didn't seem like the gold-digging type- even despite his current occupation literally involving digging for gold. If he passionately refused to leave the <em>Isle</em>, why would he suddenly be interested in swaying the heart of an Auradon royal for wealth or status?</p>
<p>Uptight, superficial Auradon citizens were also very clearly implied by Harry to be a turn off for him. And, no disrespect towards Chad, but he was the dictionary definition of that. So, personal compatibility didn't allow for a realm in which Ben could see the two of them getting along.</p>
<p>That left physical attraction. Sure, Ben could see that, but would simply liking the appearance of someone be enough for Harry to throw out the previous two principles?</p>
<p>Harry had to be joking, right? This was just a part of some bit. It had to be.</p>
<p>Either that or the four drinks must be really catching up to him.</p>
<p>Ben felt an uneasiness in his chest that settled only slightly when Harry leaned away from Chad. Harry took another calculated sip of his drink before he moved to lock eyes with Jay again. Jay's eyes remained narrowed with disapproval but Harry was still snickering which clearly meant he could care less about what Jay was thinking. Or, maybe his old friend's disapproval was all the incentive he needed to continue his amorous agenda with Chad.</p>
<p>Harry's eyes bounced over to catch Ben's before he could look away. Almost immediately, Harry's snickering faltered. Ben's discomfort must have been obvious, because he could have sworn he saw a small flash of guilt cross over Harry's face. Harry blinked and ran his tongue over his lips in a manner which conveyed a sense of awkwardness. Then he glanced at Mal beside Ben for half a second before turning back forward and taking another, longer sip of his drink.</p>
<p>Did Harry think Ben was upset by it?</p>
<p>Was Ben upset?</p>
<p>No, no.</p>
<p>Just then, Ben's line of sight was blocked by the figure of a large silver platter. A waiter stood between him and Mal to place the platter of food at the center of the table in front of the two.</p>
<p>"Your Majesty," The waiter addressed with a bow before stepping away and allowing the other's to serve more platters of food all along the centerline of the Royal Table. Piles of venison, poultry, and pork, along with other various vegetables and sides from the buffet table were now laid out in a formal, enticing fashion. The aroma of freshly cooked food struck everyone's noses at once and just like that, everyone's attention was directed right in front of them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The rest of the dinner played out as regularly as any other. The volume of the chatter among the ballroom subsided as everyone eagerly stuffed their faces with food. It wasn't until their plates grew emptier and their stomachs grew fuller that the conversations reanimated once again. Back to their usual, lively excitement of one another's company.</p>
<p>To the left of Ben, the topic of conversation revolved mostly around Carlos. Understandably, as no one except for Jay had the pleasure of seeing him frequently.</p>
<p>"So, Carlos, are you at least enjoying what you're studying right now?"</p>
<p>"It's all interesting at least, but honestly I'd prefer not to be asked questions directly involving my classes right now because I will probably start crying."</p>
<p>"Is that because of your exam Monday?"</p>
<p>"That, and my exam on Thursday. And my exam Friday."</p>
<p>"Oh shit, well it should all be worth it once you're done, right?"</p>
<p>"Yeah in like a decade from now."</p>
<p>"I meant done with the current semester."</p>
<p>"Oh, well hopefully."</p>
<p>"When is that, by the way? We need to plan a party."</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>Mal was engrossed in catching up with her close friend and while Ben fully expected it, it was still difficult to sit there physically removed from the others- where the only one of the group next to him was his fiancee- and really unable to join the conversation. He didn't want to steal Mal's attention away from the friend she was clearly enjoying speaking to much more, but without her company, the next closest person to him was Chad. And while Mal was preoccupied by her conversation with Carlos across the table, Chad was preoccupied by his enticing chat with the pirate beside him.</p>
<p>Harry had maintained the act of his made-up royal persona, which wasn't exactly difficult for him to do since he had moved on from fabricating stories about his Neverland Kingdom to asking Chad questions about himself. At this point, it was getting more difficult for Ben to assure himself that Harry was, in fact, flirting with Chad for merely a comedic bit. Ben was the only one who continued to pay attention. Uma and Jay still kept their eye on him every few minutes as they distrusted Harry's ability to behave fully, but for the most part they had moved on to speaking with Carlos as well. As had Evie. And even though Ben was the only one paying attention to Harry and Chad, he didn't exactly make it obvious that he was doing so.</p>
<p>So, with no one watching, why else would Harry feel any motivation to continue this flirty interaction with Chad if not out of genuine desire to do so?</p>
<p>Ben's fingers fumbled together with uneasiness watching the two. He pretended to hold his attention on the story Carlos had been telling, but his real attention was wrapped up in his own agitation.</p>
<p>What was he so agitated by? Again, Ben questioned if he <em>was</em> upset by Harry's behavior to Chad.</p>
<p>He wasn't upset with Harry- that's for sure.</p>
<p>He wasn't upset with Chad either because, well, why would he be? There was something about the <em>interest</em> Harry held for Chad that built a slight displeasure in Ben.</p>
<p>Harry liked Chad. Okay. So what?</p>
<p>Ben should be happy that Harry found something worth his own admiration at the ball. He did, after all, invite Harry so that he could see Auradon was more enjoyable than he ever gave it credit for. Yet for some reason once Harry found something enjoyable about it, Ben was suddenly dissatisfied?</p>
<p>Ben turned back forward, looking at the empty space in front of him. He was being ridiculous. Come on, just be happy.</p>
<p>You have your friend's and family surrounding you.</p>
<p>You have an entire ballroom of people in front of you. Laughing. Chatting. Full of wonderful food and drinks.</p>
<p>Your table is dressed in literal gold.</p>
<p>The crown on your head is literal gold.</p>
<p>The watch on your wrist is literal gold.</p>
<p>You are the <em>King</em>.</p>
<p>Just be <em>happy</em>.</p>
<p>Ben turned to his right where his mother sat chatting away with his father and the other members of the council. He spoke with the council all the time, but never about things that didn't have something to do with a political agenda. It was the Unity Ball, however. Perhaps tonight there was a consensus of not speaking entirely about work.</p>
<p>In hopes of redirecting his mind, he leaned over to listen in on their conversation and maybe even join in.</p>
<p>"I just think that we might need to slow things down with the program, I mean, just personally, if we start making all of these promises about it before we're fully ready, it could be more disastrous than we think."</p>
<p>Okay, so there was obviously no consensus about a "no work talk" rule. Figures. As his mother had said, there are no days off for a King. Apparently that ran true with the rest of the council as well.</p>
<p>"Henry, if we don't set immediate dates for the classes, we may never get them done," Cinderella replied to her husband, "Yes, we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves, but depriving the Isle of the necessary changes they need will only look bad on us."</p>
<p>"But why do we need to be so urgent about it? When has rushing something so big ever done anyone any good?"</p>
<p>They were arguing about the educational program. Which, really was Ben's idea and Ben's project- no matter how the idea came about. Maybe they weren't expecting him to be a part of the conversation, but the fact that they were criticizing the priority of the project right at the table in front of him, with a room full of Isle citizens, was enough for Ben to feel a desire to step in defensively.</p>
<p>He was the King, after all.</p>
<p>"I mean," Ben interrupted, and suddenly that entire side of the table grew silent and focused their attention on their King, "It's been over twenty years overdue. The only thing we should be doing is rushing to get it done. Whatever we do in a rush will be better than what is currently there now. We can always fix things along the way."</p>
<p>The silence lingered as the council members looked around amongst themselves. Ben couldn't decipher if their looks were in consideration of what he said, or if they were in a silent argument to determine which of them would tell the young King he was getting ahead of himself. As suspected, it was his father who cleared his throat to speak.</p>
<p>"But, Ben," Adam said, glancing a careful eye at the rest of his middle-aged friends, "While we understand the desire to speed things up, we don't want to make it seem like we aren't putting the care that we need into it."</p>
<p>"Of course," Ben agreed with a frown, "We obviously won't rush the ideas. I just mean that as long as we prioritize it like we should, we should get it done by whatever date we set."</p>
<p>"I think the issue is that we aren't sure of when those dates will be. That's what we are discussing," His father said.</p>
<p>"Do we have to figure that out now?"</p>
<p>"We're just briefly talking it over. The next council meeting, it will be up for full consideration."</p>
<p>"But I can certainly give you my opinion on when I think the dates should be," Ben was beginning to frown again, "I mean, if all you're wanting to do is talk about it now. It might help with the ideas."<br/>Again, his dad scanned the expressions of the others. If they were merely "talking it over" now, why was he so reluctant to hear what Ben had to say? Belle looked to her son, then back to her husband, awaiting his response almost as skeptical as Ben. With how awkward the council members suddenly became at his input, Ben deeply regretted turning to them for any entertainment value.</p>
<p>"Well I-" Adam hesitated.</p>
<p>Come on, Dad, just tell the little King the real adults were handling it.</p>
<p>"-Well I think obviously we are eager to hear your opinion on the dates..."</p>
<p>There was a "but" coming. Ben could just save his father the trouble and exit the conversation now.</p>
<p>"...but really, there's so many factors that are going to go into this level of scheduling. Like I said, we can discuss it more in the next meeting. Right now we're trying to keep numbers and definitives out of it. It's really just a light conversation."</p>
<p>No, you're trying to keep your <em>son</em> out of it.</p>
<p>The aggravation was back and twice as strong, but Ben was more desperate to escape the passive lecturing he so foolishly got himself into, so he shrugged and scoffed as if he had been on the same page with them the entire time.</p>
<p>"Right," Ben said, "Of course. I've just been excited to get everything with this program going, you know?"</p>
<p>Cinderella, Henry, Belle and the others exchanged glances as the father and son spoke to each other. At Ben's concession, everyone seemed to return halfway back to their casual, lighthearted posture. Adam laughed in agreement and nodded, a relaxed smile finally finding its way back onto his face.</p>
<p>"It's definitely an exciting project. And it's a good thing that you're eager to set the dates soon," He assured. Then he cracked a grin which Ben knew well enough meant he was about to make some flimsy joke to lighten the air. He, again, glanced around the table, before dipping his head down to gesture roughly toward the ring on Ben's left hand saying, "I wish you were that eager about <em>all</em> the dates you need to set." </p>
<p>His father exchanged a clever look with Henry across the table and the two released their hoots of laughter at the same time. Cinderella was quick to join in, meanwhile Belle gave a  hesitant look at her son, before forcing a grin and a nervous chuckle.</p>
<p>It took a second for the 'joke' to fully set in.</p>
<p>Ben's mouth instinctively fell open to reply, as one would do in any conversational exchange, but when the joke did set in, he quickly shut it. He <em>couldn't</em> reply. All he could do was blink. Just blink in disorientation.</p>
<p>And then he forced out a breath of laughter. A laugh that said "good one", dressed up with a gaze that spat out a distasteful aching.</p>
<p>His eyes fell to the ring on his hand. There was a twisting pain in his stomach and the sound of his father's laughter reverberated like screaming in his head.</p>
<p>He couldn't pry his eyes away from the ring.</p>
<p>The damned ring.</p>
<p>His mother was looking at it too.</p>
<p>Everyone might as well be looking at the fucking thing.</p>
<p>The twisting in his stomach solidified like a rock and the rock became heavy enough to sink him to the bottom of the ocean of guilt that he was now casted in. Thank you, Dad, for throwing him overboard into that sea.</p>
<p>Ben shut his eyes tightly. When he reopened them, he noticed his mother watching him, but he didn't bother meeting her. How could he when he was sinking under the tidal waves of guilt? Drowning in embarrassment?</p>
<p>Another waiter with a tray of champagne glasses walked by the table and it didn't take much consideration for Ben to reach out his hand to stop him. He would let his parents go back to their excruciating political conversation. And he would drink.</p>
<p>Maybe Harry had the right idea after all.</p>
<p>When the waiter brought him the tray, he took a glass for himself, then one for Mal.</p>
<p>Thank <em>God</em> she was too focused on speaking to her friends to hear his father's unwittingly obnoxious joke. It would have been appalling to see her face at such a public acknowledgement of still being unmarried.</p>
<p>Ben handed his fiancee her glass which she took with a smile before almost immediately returning her attention back onto the others. The waiter turned to withdraw back to serving the guests before he was stopped by Harry.</p>
<p>"Excuse me, I'll take these thank you very much," Harry didn't exactly give the waiter a chance to come to a complete stop before he selected two glasses off of his tray. Underneath the aching that still radiated in Ben's stomach, he managed to find a budding amusement watching Harry... well... act like Harry.</p>
<p>"Harry," Uma griped, "You don't need two more glasses of champagne."</p>
<p>"Aye, but one of these is for my new friend here," He said, swaying close to Chad and practically shoving one of the glasses into his hand."</p>
<p>"Oh-... oh, well thank you," Chad responded with uncertainty, but he found Harry amusing and he most likely felt a strong enough desire to impress this unfamiliar prince that he was going to accept the drink regardless of whether he truly wanted it or not. Cinderella and Henry both glanced at their son. Harry's antics were now in the full attention of Chad's parents and by the disapproving look on Cinderella's face, they weren't exactly happy. But, Chad was an adult and while they definitely did not glance over with approval, they weren't going to make a scene trying to stop it.</p>
<p>"Why don't you just open the entire bottle you stole from the buffet table?" Uma threw her finger at the unopened bottle that still sat in front of him.</p>
<p>"Thassagreat idea, actually," Harry raised his new glass and nodded, "I'll do that right after this one."</p>
<p>"Ugghhhh," Uma shook her head, "Please be responsible."</p>
<p>"Ey, I'm not the one drivin' back tonight."</p>
<p>Jay squinted, "That's bold to think you'll even make it to tonight."</p>
<p>Harry scoffed and waved his hand dismissively at Jay before leaning back to Chad and saying, "Aye, don't listen to 'em, Chad. This pirate is more than able to hold his alcohol."</p>
<p>"Pirate?" Chad's eyebrow shot up.</p>
<p>"<em>Prince</em>," Harry blinked roughly, "<em>Fuck</em>."</p>
<p>Jay was the first to laugh and the rest of the table quickly joined in. Ben wanted to as well. He really wanted to inside. But outside, he felt like he was going to shatter.</p>
<p>Chad's frown was growing as Harry's cover had completely been blown by his own disoriented mind. But before Chad could let his uncertainty completely sway him, Mal piped in with an attempt to revive Harry.</p>
<p>"Oh, ignore that, Chad," She insisted, "When Harry drinks, he starts believing he's a pirate."</p>
<p>Harry immediately snorted a laugh and he covered his mouth as if he were about to spit out his champagne. The table laughed again and Harry shrugged, still chuckling uncontrollably and said:</p>
<p>"Yes. It's quite the curse."</p>
<p>Ben felt his heart pounding.</p>
<p><em>Just be happy</em>.</p>
<p>But he really couldn't.</p>
<p>Watching Harry leaning into Chad and giving him the entirety of his attention. It made everything so much worse. It was almost unfair.</p>
<p>Ben had to sit there at the center of the table out of the loop of the conversation to his left and shunned from the conversation to his right. He sat in the middle of a social purgatory. And he had to watch the only person who could possibly understand the pain he was in, spend the last hour throwing himself over a guy who was the embodiment of everything he claimed to have hated.</p>
<p>This dinner was a feast of all the troubles Ben had been facing the past two years. And he had to sit there and eat up his pain while the single slice of his sanity danced right in front of him, across the table, and completely out of his reach.</p>
<p>That's what this was. Harry was Ben's slice of sanity. He was his only escape from the same painful routine of his internal disarray. He genuinely enjoyed talking to him. And Ben couldn't think of a single thing off the top of his head that he genuinely enjoyed in his day to day life for a while. Was that the real reason Ben invited Harry?</p>
<p>Did he invite him because without Harry, this ball would just be a continuation of that day to day life that seemed to be treating him so poorly lately, and Harry presented something new, something spontaneous, that Ben desired in his life? And did Ben just use the whole integration plan as an excuse for simply wanting him there? Was it selfish if he did? Was it pathetic?</p>
<p>It didn't matter at this point because he couldn't even talk to him regardless. He had to pretend he didn't know him in front of everyone. And he had to pretend like he was perfectly content with Chad being able to receive the amusement that Harry's company offered. The amusement Ben wished he could be a part of.</p>
<p>And he had to pretend like he was perfectly content with the fact that Harry was fine not talking to him, because it looked like he had fully forgotten that Ben was sitting right there. This new companion that Ben thought he had made. And he wasn't even looking at him anymore.</p>
<p>What if Harry was actually mad at Ben for forcing him to be there? He didn't seem to be that upset at the buffet table. He made this displeasure known, but he wasn't... mad at Ben. Was he?</p>
<p>The thought began to itch.</p>
<p>More worries. More anxiety.</p>
<p>He wanted everything to pause.</p>
<p>He heard the group of council members to his right burst out in laughter amongst each other again. He sucked in a breath.</p>
<p>Chad was frowning more, but Mal's assurance of Harry's slip up- as ridiculous as it was- gave a solid enough excuse for Chad to shrug it off.</p>
<p>"That's... interesting," He still seemed skeptical, but again, he shrugged it off, "I don't drink much, personally, so I've never experienced such an... identity crisis."</p>
<p>"Ah," Harry, again lifted his glass and leaned closely to Chad and Ben quickly noticed that at some point, Harry had actually moved his chair closer to him as well. Then, Harry put his hand on his arm, which could have been interpreted as an overly-friendly gesture in Chad's mind, but it wasn't in Ben's. "Well perhaps tonight is the perfect time for such an experience."</p>
<p>Harry leaned closer. His hand moving from Chad's arm to his shoulder.</p>
<p>Ben's leg was restless under the table. His heart was still racing.</p>
<p>
  <em>Please, everything just pause, please.</em>
</p>
<p>Chad, still oblivious, scrunched up his nose in deep thought and said, "No, I don't think that sounds like a good time, actually. I mean- like- who else would I want to be, you know? Well, I guess other than, you know, me but with a full castle entirely to myself. That sounds nice." Chad was drifting off into his imagination, meanwhile Harry did not seem to be listening fully.</p>
<p>"Aye," Harry nodded, leaning even closer and bringing his glass to clink against Chad's, "Cheers to that,"</p>
<p>Then his hand moved from his shoulder, to around his torso.</p>
<p>Ben's heart lurched forward.</p>
<p>It was like he couldn't take anymore of this. His body moved without the consent of his mind.</p>
<p>He threw his hand out to grab the champagne glass in front of him. The anxious energy in his body channeled into his hand and before he even knew it, he was standing up and knocking a metal spoon against the glass to create a chime which rang urgently throughout the room.</p>
<p>His friends jumped in surprise. His parent's froze in sudden confusion.</p>
<p>The loud chatter fell silent.</p>
<p>And just like that, Ben had put everything on pause.</p>
<p>And he was holding the attention of the entire ballroom before him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Something There</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is quite long, so it is divided into 3 parts. I hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>
      <strong>~1~</strong>
    </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Uh."</p>
<p>Ben looked down at Harry, who's analytical eyes were now piercing through him. He was no longer on top of Chad and instead pulled away and watching Ben. Ben glanced at Mal, who was thoroughly confused, but beckoning him to continue as the rest of the hundreds of people were waiting silently for their King to speak.</p>
<p>
  <em>Mic. I need a mic.</em>
</p>
<p>He looked to Fairy Godmother, desperation for help in his eyes. He moved his hand to motion for a microphone. She seemed to know exactly what he was saying because she rushed to the orchestra behind them, grabbed one of their microphones off of its stand and immediately brought it to Ben.</p>
<p>"Thank you," Ben mouthed to her before turning back to the audience in front of him.</p>
<p><em>Speak</em>.</p>
<p>
  <em>Speech. You have a speech.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Right?</em>
</p>
<p>He cleared his throat, which came out much louder through the speakers against the silence of the atmosphere.</p>
<p>"Uh, hello, everyone," He started. There was a slight croaking to his voice so he cleared it again. Wow this was not off to a great start.</p>
<p>Speech, what was his speech?</p>
<p>He couldn't remember.</p>
<p>"I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for coming out tonight," Ben glanced over and caught Jane's horrified expression at this impromptu speech she had not scheduled yet. Ben felt an uneasiness in his stomach, but continued, "As you all know, tonight marks the anniversary of- if I must give my own opinion- the <em>most</em> significant day in Auradon history." He looked at his father and the alarm in his eyes. Suddenly, the speech he had written the week before sparked back into his mind.</p>
<p>"We are all here to celebrate a decision that changed all of our lives completely. And I must say, it's been an improvement beyond belief."</p>
<p>Okay, yes this was right.</p>
<p>"Acceptance is something that is difficult to have when what you are expected to accept is so foreign to you. I think we all understand that," Ben couldn't help but glance again at Harry. He was still and his watchful eyes hadn't changed. Ben looked back to the audience, "...But the acceptance I have seen among this kingdom is more than incredible. And... it's encouraging. We all have done such a wonderful job bringing each other together and showing the support that has been much needed. I look forward to seeing that continue, because simply bringing the barrier down and letting everyone in is not enough. It doesn't stop there."</p>
<p>Ben looked again at his mother and father. Then the rest of the council.</p>
<p><em>I wish you were that eager about </em>all<em> the dates you need to set.</em></p>
<p>The way they looked at Ben. Their King. Their son. So dismissive.</p>
<p>So... condescending.</p>
<p>He expected another bout of anxiety to crash into him, as a small bit of anger began bubbling at the echo of his father's words. But surprisingly, a calmness washed over him and he became composed.</p>
<p>"As you all know, we have been working on a very special, very long overdue addition to the infrastructure of the Isle. The educational program is something we have been incredibly excited to begin, so that's why it's very exciting to say that the feedback for this new program has been tremendous. Our last event proved that both Auradon and the Isle are more than ready for a new educational program and the support we have received so far tells us that everything could potentially be done a lot more smoothly than we first expected," He glanced once more to his father, "Perhaps, things will be happening a lot <em>sooner</em> than expected."</p>
<p>Maybe he was making a huge mistake with such a spontaneous announcement. But honestly, screw it. It's not like this entire speech wasn't spontaneous to begin with.</p>
<p>Hell, the program itself had been spontaneous to begin with.</p>
<p>"So," Ben continued, clearing his throat again, "I'm incredibly <em>eager</em> to announce that we will be setting the dates for the next few events regarding the program relatively soon. I'm not really supposed to spoil the announcement of the next event, but we are all just too <em>eager</em>. Plus, this night is special and I think it's more than fitting to utilize this opportunity to share good news."</p>
<p>He didn't look at his parent's again- he didn't dare. But he did glance over at Mal who still remained confused. Then he looked at Harry again, who had downed the rest of his glass of champagne and was no longer paying attention to Ben's speech and was instead focused on the bottle in front of him.</p>
<p>"Uh-" It was an effort to pull his eyes away from Harry. <em>Harry... look over here</em>, he wanted to say. But Harry was fully invested in opening this bottle of champagne. His fingers were prying at the foil wrapping that sealed the top. Well, at least he wasn't still invested in Chad.</p>
<p>"...In a couple of weeks," Ben continued, finally pulling his eyes back onto the people, "We are planning to have <em>another</em> public event at the Isle for the program. Not everything is certain, but we will be having a public panel discussion to allow anyone the opportunity to come and ask questions or share their concerns and receive immediate answers from us. We will be conducting more interviews and if all goes according to plan, we may even have mini workshops for the kids."</p>
<p>Harry had ripped the foil off of the bottle and was now working to untwist the wire which held the cork at the top. It was incredibly difficult to concentrate on the speech while his struggle to open the bottle was so distracting.</p>
<p>"But before I tell you the last plan we have in store for this next event, I think it's important to first address some of the issues that have been brought to our attention. At our last event, we encouraged everyone to fill out surveys which briefly touched on some of the current problems faced at the Isle. Unfortunately, there were quite a few..."</p>
<p>Harry was now pulling at the top of the bottle. Twisting the cork in a clear struggle.</p>
<p>"We noticed high reports of issues such as outdated teaching material and technology. A lack of teachers. A lack of proper nourishment. A lack of overall incentive to learn. These are horrible issues that have been allowed to carry on for far too long. It needs to change..." Ben took in a breath. He looked again to Mal, then Uma, and Evie. Then to the council again. He continued, speaking in a somber, genuine manner.</p>
<p>"So I'd like to take a moment and formally apologize, on behalf of the entire Kingdom of Auradon, for the awful, unethical neglect of the innocent citizens and youth of the Isle of the Lost-"</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>POP!</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>The sound of the cork bursting off the top of the champagne bottle rang through the atmosphere of the ballroom. Not only had the sound itself violated the solemn ambience, but the microphone had picked up the sound, which amplified it times three.</p>
<p>The room fell completely silent.</p>
<p>Ben was completely frozen.</p>
<p>"<em>Harryyy!</em>" Ben heard Uma hissing quietly through gritted teeth.</p>
<p>"<em>Shit, that was loud</em>," Harry had whispered back.</p>
<p>"<em>Give me the fucking bottle</em>."</p>
<p>"<em>Wait</em>."</p>
<p>"<em>Give me. The fucking. Bottle.</em>"</p>
<p>Ben wanted to faint.</p>
<p>Luckily, their words were quiet enough to not be picked up by the mic, but the rest of the room was so quiet and the attention was entirely on that side of the Royal table that Ben was convinced even those in the back row could hear them.</p>
<p>"Uh-" Ben brought the microphone back up to his face.</p>
<p>His heart began racing again and all he could do was stare at the floor ahead of him as if he were lost in a trance. Now he truly did not dare look at his friends or the council or- God forbid- his parents who were most likely completely horrified.</p>
<p>What the fuck was he saying?</p>
<p><em>Harry, goddammit</em>.</p>
<p>He unconsciously massaged his temple to cure an oncoming headache, but then he remembered he was standing in front of hundreds of people who were awaiting the rest of their King's words.</p>
<p>The Isle, right. The program.</p>
<p>The... the...</p>
<p>...<em>Like to give a formal apology on behalf of Auradon</em>...</p>
<p>Yeah. That's it.</p>
<p>He cleared his throat again.</p>
<p>"So we truly. Truly apologize," He managed to say.</p>
<p>
  <em>Yeah good. Now transition to the job opportunities.</em>
</p>
<p>"Nothing can make up for the..." What's the word? What's the goddamn word? "Failure of action on Auradon's part-" That didn't make any fucking sense, "-All we can do is do better. All we can do is work together now to rebuild a city that we all know has the potential to be something greater."</p>
<p>
  <em>Okay, you're getting there. Good. Good. Keep going.</em>
</p>
<p>"One of the biggest issues that came up frequently was the lack of job opportunities on the Isle. It's a small step, but at this next event, we will be opening a booth where citizens of the Isle can fill out an application for the opportunity to potentially help teach a few trial classes. We know many of you are talented in ways you may never have gotten to share with the world, and so we'd love to give you the ability to pass on skills and passions you think will be important for the next generations to learn."</p>
<p>At that, the room stirred with interest. People turned to each other to immediately share ideas and input.</p>
<p>Ben wanted to glance back at Harry too see what in the hell was happening there, but it took everything in his power not to. The last thing he needed was to lose his mind before he even finished his speech.</p>
<p>Yes. Finish his speech.</p>
<p>He needed to do that. Desperately.</p>
<p>When Ben began to speak again, the people gradually grew silent.</p>
<p>"But anyways, further information regarding that will be released very soon. I just wanted to share this exciting news to give all of you a little something extra to celebrate tonight. This will be a great night and I hope it marks not only the anniversary of our Unity, but the start of a completely new and exciting chapter of our kingdom."</p>
<p>Clapping began to erupt and Ben sucked in a breath of relief. Then, he looked to Mal beside him who still looked slightly troubled, but delightfully surprised. He held his hand out for her to take.</p>
<p>"And now, I'd like to ask the orchestra to begin playing the first song we have prepared for the rest of the night. And I would be honored to ask you, Mal, if you would help me lead this dance tonight?"</p>
<p>Her eyes sparkled and she took Ben's hand and nodded before rising out of her chair. Fairy Godmother came running over to take the microphone from Ben's hand and return it to the orchestra. She beckoned for them to carry on and almost immediately, the first beautiful note played, driving the rest of the melody to begin.</p>
<p>Mal took Ben's arm and Ben turned to lead her around the Royal Table.</p>
<p>On his way he managed to sneak a look at the council, all of whom had faces flushed of their color. All except for his father. No. His father's face was red. Completely red.</p>
<p>Ben was rather proud of the speech he managed to put together without his notecards. It was decent despite the... obstacles... But it <em>was</em> entirely uncalled for. The speech he had planned was half as long and wasn't supposed to have been made for maybe another thirty minutes. And it certainly did not include reference to another event.</p>
<p>That bit was most definitely the cause of the fire in his father's eyes.</p>
<p>It was difficult, though, to even worry about that as he led his fiancee to the center of the dance floor. The agony of the impending doom of his father's angry lecture was far inferior to the agony of sitting at that table for a moment longer. Should he have announced the uncertain plans of the next event without having prior discussed it with the council? No.</p>
<p>Did he regret it? Also, no. Well... not <em>yet</em>.</p>
<p>It was petty, maybe. But then again, the initiation of the entire speech was driven by pettiness.</p>
<p>Well, maybe not <em>pettiness</em>. Ben wasn't exactly <em>thinking</em> when he hysterically knocked the spoon against the glass in an attempt to end the chaotic anxiety of everything happening around him. But the fact that he was upset enough by everything happening around him... particularly Harry throwing himself over Chad...</p>
<p>Wasn't <em>that</em> petty?</p>
<p>Who knows. Ben didn't want to think about it anymore.</p>
<p>Once he was in the center of the dance floor, he glanced back over to the table to where Harry was still sitting with the rest of their friends with Uma still hissing at him. A small pain in his stomach came back.</p>
<p>Ben looked back at Mal. They had a routine prepared for this dance and he silently hoped the spontaneity of all of this didn't cause her to forget it. He hoped it didn't cause him to forget it either.</p>
<p>"Are you ready?" He whispered to her.</p>
<p>She nodded, "Yes."</p>
<p>Ben held her hand outward, then rested his left hand around her torso. He took in another nervous breath and found the slow, beautiful rhythm of the music before pressing her body backwards to take the first step. <br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>
      <span class="u">~2~</span>
    </em>
  </b><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I'm cutting you off right now, Harry."</p>
<p>Uma was furious.</p>
<p>Harry could not stop laughing.</p>
<p>Once the music had begun and King Ben and Queen Mal had started their dance, most of those at the Royal Table- including the ever-so-delightful Chad Charming- had stood up and joined the rest of the ballroom guests in surrounding the dance floor to watch. It was just Uma that remained to fiercely berate Harry for his rather hilarious, yet fully accidental disruption of Ben's speech.</p>
<p>It <em>was</em> hilarious.</p>
<p>Yeah, sure, all the grand Auradon figureheads seemed quite pissed off- and Harry was more than ready to never receive another Royal Invite again- but everyone else at the table besides Uma and Carlos's girlfriend couldn't hold back their laughter. Even <em>Jay</em>, who seemed to be the most critical of him this fine night, had to bite his tongue to not laugh.</p>
<p>"Uma, I'm <em>sorrrrryyyy</em>," Harry insisted, but his laughing just wouldn't stop, "I had <em>no</em> idea it was going to be that loud."</p>
<p>"I told you not to open it while Ben was speaking and you completely ignored me and now you've made an idiot of both of us."</p>
<p>"No, no, no," Harry waved her off, his head spun, "It's fine, it's fine. If anything, they should be <em>thankin</em>' me for spicing up Ben's god awful rambling."</p>
<p>"I'm cutting you off, asshole. No more champagne."</p>
<p>"Don't do this to me, pleeeease," Harry folded his hands in front of him. His captain sat watching him with narrowed eyes, shaking her head. He puckered out his bottom lip in pleading, "I'm not even drunk, Uma, just a little bit tipsy."</p>
<p>"And yet you're already being <em>incredibly</em> disruptive."</p>
<p>"I'll be good. I promise. Please don't take away the one thing getting me through this night."</p>
<p>Uma scoffed, but she was clearly itching to join the others to watch Ben and Mal's dance.</p>
<p>"Just-... sober up a bit, Harry. If you're desperate to knock yourself unconscious with alcohol, at least wait until the end of the party. For now, just take a damn break." She rose from her chair and turned to walk around the side of the table. She came back around to Harry's side where he sat.</p>
<p>"Seriously," She said, "You're an embarrassment." And she punched his arm to assure him she wasn't <em>that</em> upset with him before continuing off toward the dance floor.</p>
<p>Harry remained where he was, sitting alone at the unnecessarily long table. He didn't understand why everyone at the Royal Table had left to the floor to watch Ben and Mal dance, as the large crowd surrounding them would have made it impossible to view them from there. While here, the table was on a slightly elevated floor, which allowed for a far better vantage point.</p>
<p>Maybe it was disrespectful or something to be seated while the King and Queen danced. Who knew? Castle etiquette was often nonsensical like that.</p>
<p>Harry watched Ben from where he sat. His eye wasn't moving off of him.</p>
<p>He watched him dance so elegantly to the music, spinning Mal and guiding her body in slow, fluid motions across the tile floor. Under the golden lights, his royal blue suit radiated like a diamond. He stood out well and it was hard to look at anyone else.</p>
<p>Even if his suit were the dullest of colors, he would still find it difficult to pry away his eyes.</p>
<p>Ever since Harry walked through the doors and saw him, he had trouble looking away. Ben was all he could think about for the last two weeks. The troubling thoughts had not gone away- only pestered and pestered more and more. They evolved. And they were so damn frustrating because no matter how much Harry tried to understand what his emotions were trying to tell him- no matter how much thought he had given them- they still seemed so foreign.</p>
<p>It was like the feeling just remained there like a weed in his chest, unable to be cut away. It was ugly and annoying and would grow just to taunt him.</p>
<p>And he couldn't do anything about it because it wasn't going to be for a while until he saw Ben again to clarify whatever the feelings meant.</p>
<p>Well here he was now. Finally. At the ball.</p>
<p>And Ben had been right there, unknowingly waiting to give Harry all the clarification he needed. But the first second he had laid his eyes on Ben, his feelings became a hundred times more complicated.</p>
<p>Harry had been slightly nervous to show up. No, really. He had actually been nervous. It was shocking. It hadn't started hitting him until the day before when Evie came back to Uma's office to present them the fully completed suit. Before that, the idea of going to the ball had been nothing more than a small detour in Harry's everyday life that he had to simply roll his eyes and get through. But when Evie presented to him the full suit, it was like everything inside of him turned to stone.</p>
<p>He would have to actually <em>wear</em> that.</p>
<p>To a castle.</p>
<p>In Auradon.</p>
<p>In front of everyone.</p>
<p>That was... ridiculous.</p>
<p>Now, don't get him wrong, he didn't think a single thing wrong of the suit. In fact, it was one of the most exquisite suits he had ever laid his eyes on. It was unbelievably ravishing. And it looked <em>very</em> expensive.</p>
<p>The problem, in Harry's eyes, was that there was only one type of person that belonged in a suit like that. And Harry was not that type of person. Harry had never been that type of person.</p>
<p>And he didn't know <em>how</em> to be that type of person.</p>
<p>Ben had wasted his money because there was no way Harry was going to show up wearing that. But Uma and Evie had insisted he try it on and so he did and when he saw himself in the full length mirror for the first time dressed head to toe in red and black floral patterning, the two girls went absolutely nuts. He looked really good. He was actually speechless seeing himself in such high-fashioned apparel.<br/>
But he looked so... different.</p>
<p>There was a pain inside of him when he wondered what his father would say if he could see him like that. Out of the rags and into the riches.</p>
<p>And then he wanted to take it all off immediately.</p>
<p>But the girls were so excited he didn't dare say a negative word about his feelings. He was going to the ball. There was no stopping that.</p>
<p>His nerves then began to fester. He started thinking about Ben again. After he was all cleaned up and polished with his new suit on and ready to go to the ball, he started wondering what Ben was going to think when he saw him. Then he started wondering what <em>he</em> was going to think when <em>he</em> saw Ben.</p>
<p>Then they had arrived and he did see Ben.</p>
<p>Dressed superbly in blue and gold. He looked more of a King than Harry had ever seen before. God, he really was attractive.</p>
<p>Harry could have been certain of his feelings at that moment, but once he and Uma had reached the group of friends and he saw Mal and the rest of them, it was like his body instinctively crushed any and all of those feelings at once. It was awful timing for these feelings that had been causing him so much grief to just up and abandon him the second he saw the person that could clarify them. But he understood why they went away so instinctively.</p>
<p>Because he couldn't even talk to Ben.</p>
<p>He had almost forgotten that awfully crucial note. His damn fiancee was standing right next to him.</p>
<p>Come on, Harry, you can't test the romantic waters with someone when the person they promised to marry was standing right next to them. Well, geez, that sounded a lot worse when he thought about it that way.</p>
<p>All of this was so ridiculous. He just needed to focus on something else and forget about these feelings. Even if they were there. It didn't matter because he couldn't talk to the Ben from-the-lake that created the conflicting feelings in the first place. He didn't even know if he'd get to talk to that Ben ever again.</p>
<p>So maybe it was best just to drop the issue now since the feelings had up and vanished. Take the opportunity to not invite the feelings back. Because all they were, were trouble.</p>
<p>But now he was watching Ben dance in the middle of the ballroom, and the tugging was returning. Elegance was the only word he could use to describe him at this moment. Elegance was not the word he would use to describe Ben-from-the-lake. But this Ben. This Ben moved and held himself like there wasn't a single impedance within or around him. Every step he took, every turn of his body, every gesture of his posture was done with skillful intention. There was nothing awkward about this Ben.</p>
<p>Unlike the Ben who was too tongue-tied at the lake to formulate a proper, unoffensive sentence.</p>
<p>Unlike the Ben who just minutes prior was stuttering his way through his oddly out-of-place speech.</p>
<p>Harry squinted in frustration. Every time he saw Ben it was like he was meeting a different version of him. The first time he met him on his ship he was practically deranged. Then when he arrived at the Isle for the event, he was composed and professional. That same day at the booth though, he was irritable and reactive. At the lake he was first explosive, but then fragile and clumsy. Awkward. Then at the buffet table he was a charming character. Then at the Royal Table, giving his speech, he was an unprepared, nervous wreck.</p>
<p>And now, on the dance floor, he was the most poised, the most graceful figure Harry had ever seen.</p>
<p>Which Ben was the real Ben? Which Ben managed to spark this tugging feeling?</p>
<p>Wasn't it Ben-from-the-lake since these feelings hadn't started until after that day? That's certainly what Harry had thought. But now that the tugging was back as he watched this Ben, he wasn't so sure.</p>
<p>Maybe it was all of them.</p>
<p>Maybe it wasn't one single version of Ben that sparked this. Maybe it was the sole fact that Harry didn't know which Ben was the real Ben that captivated him so much. Maybe it was the bizarre challenge of figuring out which Ben was the real Ben that was so intriguing to Harry. As Harry acknowledged before, slightly-unhinged, interesting people intrigued him. And right now, that pretty much summed up Ben.</p>
<p>He continued to watch the dance, the spinning in his head from all of the alcohol making it far easier for Ben's movements to place Harry into a hypnotic trance. He slipped into a state of focus where everything except for Ben and Mal completely blurred out.</p>
<p>The music grew more intensely around them and the notes from the strings floated into the air. Ben matched the lightness of the notes in his steps. He matched the fluidity of the rhythm in his pose. He looked sharp and strong, but also delicate and everything from where he placed his foot to where he looked with his eyes was graceful. It was like his movements conducted the orchestra. Like the music followed his motions rather than his motions following the music.</p>
<p>Mal was following Ben's lead in a manner which showed that she knew the routine by heart. She knew where to place her feet and what to do with her torso, but she didn't convey the dynamics with the same level of elegance as Ben. While the dance was still beautifully done, it was clear to see the difference between someone who was just learning graceful ballroom routines within the past few years, versus someone who was most likely taught this from the moment he could walk.</p>
<p>Harry wasn't going to criticize Mal's inability to fully match the level of etiquette that this dance called for. It's not like Harry could do any better. In fact, the thought of Harry even attempting a ballroom dance was horrifying. He could dance, for sure. But... ballroom dances and pirate dances were practically on opposite ends of the formality spectrum.</p>
<p>The music was at its peak. The strings produced an intense, yet beautiful harmony to execute the climax of the song. The dance matched the crescendo of the orchestra as the steps of their waltz grew more determined and quickened. Ben turned their bodies every step, his foot pivoting on the floor with ease. The music built and built and just when it reached the highest, loudest note, he lifted Mal off of the floor and spun her. The tip of her purple dress waved behind, tracing her journey of the circle Ben spun her in.</p>
<p>The note held high in the air. As soon as her foot touched the ground again, Ben took a step back, allowing her momentum from the spin to carry her body away from his. Ben held onto her hand and the two travelled opposite ways until they were as far away from each other as their extended arms allowed. Once their arms could not stretch out further, Ben pulled her toward him and she twirled her body into him. She twisted all the way into his arms and just as their bodies came together in the blink of an eye, the music came to a complete stop.</p>
<p>The two held their position, nose to nose in the middle of the dance floor. The room was quiet. Everything and everyone around them became as still as they were. The way Ben held Mal so closely to him, his eyes looking nowhere else but at hers, no one would ever guess there was a single thing wrong between them. The two were madly in love. Mal was the only thing Ben ever thought about from the moment he woke up in the mornings to the second he fell asleep.</p>
<p>The lights glistened some more. This moment was going to last forever. At least that's what Harry felt until the orchestra came back alive, touching a note so quiet, so delicate and beautiful.</p>
<p>Ben carried out the finale of the dance by dipping Mal backwards slowly. Romantically. Mal let her body decline toward the ground, entrusting Ben's arms to hold her which he did with ease for half a second before picking her back up and once again the two were nose to nose. And the music came to its final, gradual stop.</p>
<p>This time the two only remained in their final pose for a second before they both broke out into foolish, whimsical smiles. The audience around them clapped and cheered happily for their King and Queen and Ben took a step away to give his dance partner a respectful bow and kiss on her hand. Mal returned his gesture with a curtsey and a blush of her cheeks.</p>
<p>The two laughed, then turned to bow in gratitude to the audience's applause.</p>
<p>Harry sat back in his chair, watching Ben with wonder and admiration. He was still trying to decipher every action of Ben's, searching for any sign of fault in his actions. Any sign that would indicate his deep troubles, because after that dance he had even <em>Harry</em> fooled into believing that there wasn't a shred of doubt in Ben's heart. That there wasn't an ounce of anxiety or... "<em>hopelessness</em>" in his life, to use the exact word Ben had back at the lake.</p>
<p>Harry had just about given up on searching for a sign when he saw Ben look back up. Although the center of the dance floor was quite a distance from the Royal Table where Harry sat and although Harry's eyesight was not exactly the best thanks to the champagne, he was more than sure Ben was looking directly at him. Just for a second his eyes remained in his direction, but somewhere in Harry's gut, it was enough to let him know that that was his sign. Ben could have looked toward him for a number of insignificant reasons, but there was something about the action which completely broke the character of this elegant, King Benjamin. It shattered that facade. For that second, with a simple, almost obscure look from across the ballroom, Harry <em>did</em> see Ben from the lake.</p>
<p>Harry wanted to hold onto that gaze. He wanted to analyze it for as long as he could. It was so fascinating to him that Ben could so easily slip in and out of this character. Like playing roles were as effortless to him as the dance he just performed. It truly was fascinating.</p>
<p>But Ben had turned back to the crowd, continuing to bow and wave in thanks for the applause. Then he allowed Mal to take him by the arm and he led her off of the dance floor. The orchestra took the cue to transition to the next song. It was a more upbeat and lively song that they began to play and suddenly half of the ballroom was in an excited rush to search for a partner and flood the dance floor.</p>
<p>Harry kept his eyes on Ben. He watched him and Mal mingle with the crowd, most likely thanking people for complimenting their dance, and attempting to make their way back to their friends.</p>
<p>He could see Evie run up to hug Mal as excited about her dance as she was about literally everything else. The rest of the friend group, including Uma, trailed behind her to meet them and he could see all of them begin to talk happily to one another once again. Perhaps this was Harry's cue to rejoin them.</p>
<p>He certainly had nothing else to do. Especially if he couldn't loiter around the champagne refill station without Uma getting on his case. He sighed and decided to stand up from his chair. As soon as he was on his feet, though, the room spun around him in a blur like he was standing in the middle of a carousel.</p>
<p>'<em>Fuck</em>', he thought, blinking roughly. He felt a tingling weakness in his legs. Wow, he had been so deep in his head he hadn't realized how much of an effect the champagne had taken on his body thus far. He huffed out a breath and rolled his shoulders. It was easy to gain back control of his body. He only had what, five, maybe six glasses of champagne? Or was it seven? Either way, it's not like champagne was very high in its alcohol percentage anyways. He could probably drink five or six more before he was actually <em>drunk</em>. Man, he really wished he could get to that point already.</p>
<p>'<em>Curse you, Uma</em>', he thought with innocent disdain.</p>
<p>He ran his hands down his suit, the slickness of the material giving him an unfamiliar yet pleasant sensation against his fingertips. It was odd to experience. Harry didn't think in a hundred years he'd ever wear something that was worth more money than he had ever collectively seen in his life. And it felt so different than any of the hand-me-downs he would wear back at the Isle. The material was stiff and wrapped so closely around his body. It surely wasn't as free to move in as his normal baggy clothes were, but it was still far easier than what he would expect from such new material. In a hundred years he never thought he'd wear something so expensive, but in a million years, he'd never thought he'd wear something tailored specifically for his body. At first he thought the idea was ridiculous- and it was, still- but the more he wore it the more sense of... power that he felt. Like he really was the prince he had told Chad Charming he was.</p>
<p>He laughed at the thought before he could take it any more seriously. Sure, the suit made him feel more powerful, but he wasn't a prince and he never would be anything close to it. He didn't want to be. Playing dress up was fun and all, but it was almost gross how easy it was to forget what you were once the suit was off and the rags were back on.</p>
<p>If putting on expensive attire was enough to immediately heighten one's sense of excellence, he could fully understand why Chad was the way he was.</p>
<p>Harry trotted down the few steps to the floor of the ballroom where the entire party of people mingled about. In the center, people danced formally with their partners and along the outskirts, they socialized with friends and scavenged the buffet tables for finger foods. Harry kept his eyes on the group of friends further ahead of him, trying his hardest not to carelessly bump into the people that drifted around him.</p>
<p>It felt like an achievement when he finally maneuvered his way to Ben and the rest of them. He made it just in time to hear Evie finish her praise over Mal's dance.</p>
<p>"Ugh, Mal, I'm just so jealous you got to perform such a stunning dance in that gown. It looked like a romantic fairytale," she had finished saying. Mal laughed.</p>
<p>"Well, Evie, maybe at the next ball <em>you</em> should do a full dance. As a matter of fact, you can take my place because I'm sure you would do way better than me."</p>
<p>The two of them laughed, but then Evie rolled her eyes, "No way, you were incredible. But... I would <em>love</em> to do my own dance!" Then she turned to her boyfriend, "Doug, we should do a dance! <em>Please</em>!"</p>
<p>Doug chuckled with a look that showed slight uncertainty, but he shrugged, "I would love to do a dance with you. But we would have to start practicing a routine immediately."</p>
<p>"Well..." Evie looked toward the dance floor, "Then let's start practicing now!"</p>
<p>"Wha-" He started, but before he could finish she was tugging on his arm and beckoning everyone else.</p>
<p>"Come on, let's all go dance!"</p>
<p>Carlos looked to his girlfriend with a smile before the two shrugged enthusiastically to each other. He held out his arm and when she took it, the two were already on their way.</p>
<p>"Come on, Uma, you too!" Evie beckoned Uma, who didn't take much convincing before she laughed.</p>
<p>"Okay, okay!"</p>
<p>"Harry, you too!" Evie pressed, waving her hand at him. Harry shifted awkwardly at the invite, suddenly regretting making his way over to the group.</p>
<p>"Absolutely not," He said.</p>
<p>"Please!" Evie begged. And Uma held her hand on her hips in agreement. Harry waved them off.</p>
<p>"You forced me to come here, you're not going to force me to dance as well."</p>
<p>The two girls clicked their tongues in protest, but quickly abandoned their argument and turned toward the dance floor to follow Carlos.</p>
<p>"We just got done dancing," Mal said, looking to hopefully to Ben, "But...?"</p>
<p>"I'd love to," Ben said, and Harry caught his eye for a split second before he continued, "But I think I'm going to sit this one out. I think I need to go speak to my parents before they kill me for making that announcement."</p>
<p>"Ugh, they can't be <em>that</em> mad at you," Mal said with a sympathetic, yet understanding smile, "But you should probably talk to them."</p>
<p>"Right, have fun, though," Ben insisted with a reassuring smile.</p>
<p>Mal perked up again and turned to Jay. She forcefully wrapped her arm around his, which had caught him off guard.</p>
<p>"Come on, Jay. Escort a lady to the dance floor, would you?"</p>
<p>Jay laughed, but then he hesitated. For a second his eyes bounced between Harry and Ben. Harry couldn't tell what exactly was crossing Jay's mind- as per usual- but the way he was looking between them with hesitancy definitely came off as almost disapproving in some way. And Harry was almost certain it wasn't because he disapproved of them skipping out on dancing with the rest of them.</p>
<p>Whatever. If you couldn't figure out what Jay was thinking in a second, you weren't going to figure it out in a <em>year</em>. There were few things more frustrating than agonizing over that man's state of mind.</p>
<p>Jay was quickly brought out of whatever weird moment of hesitation he was in and looked back to Mal with a smile.</p>
<p>"Of course. Anything for my Queen," Jay gave his friend a playful bow, but Mal rolled her eyes and quickly pulled him toward the dance floor after the others. Harry watched after the two, his head still slightly spinning as they disappeared along with the others into the condensed crowd of people.</p>
<p>He shook his head again, then looked back forward to realize that left Ben alone as the remaining friend of the group. He was staring back at Harry with a look even more confusing than Jay's.</p>
<p>God, maybe he <em>was</em> drunk because it sure as hell seemed like he wasn't understanding a single thing around him.</p>
<p>"Not gonna dance?" Ben asked. There was a sly essence to his expression. It was kind of adorable, actually.</p>
<p>"Ha. I'll unfortunately have to pass on that," Harry replied, shoving his hands into his pockets. Now there was an awkwardness in the way <em>Harry</em> acted. As much as he did want to talk to Ben and dig deeper into the strange mind of the King, he really wished he were on his ship right now. The setting was just... too different for his liking.</p>
<p>It was too far away from his element and he hated how much it showed. Again, as much as he wanted to talk to Ben, he didn't want to do it here.</p>
<p>He needed to drink more.</p>
<p>"Oh come on," Ben shrugged, "I would've taken you as a pretty good dancer."</p>
<p>Harry narrowed his eyes. There was something in the way Ben spoke to him that instantly brought that tugging feeling front and center. There was something in the way his eyes flickered. Something in the way he tried so desperately to continue grasping at the character of King Benjamin while Ben-from-the-lake was obviously scratching just under the surface of his skin.</p>
<p>The innocent slyness wrapped up in a formal, self-assured bow of King Benjamin. It was an enticing combination. Just so... intriguing.</p>
<p>"And why d'ya' say that?" Harry raised an eyebrow. While Ben was struggling to satiate the inner portion of his personality in the confines of his aristocratic one, Harry felt his own charisma was being completely watered down by the awkward, formal environment. Even despite the effects of the alcohol flooding through him. Again. The setting was like a poison in the air.</p>
<p>"I mean, pirates dance a lot, don't they?" He looked to the side, as if the assumption held a potential for an offense and it was best not to look in Harry's eye in case of it.</p>
<p>Jesus, Ben, your uncertainty is just too amusing. It almost drove Harry insane. King Benjamin acted so self-assured. But it seemed that only lasted so long when he was actually speaking one on one. How did no one else see this side of him? Was it just Harry?</p>
<p>"Of course," Harry ran his tongue over his teeth, then looked to the crowd on the dance floor. He briefly caught sight of Chad, waltzing with a beautiful girl among the rest of the crowd. He looked back at Ben and added, "But pirate dances are... a lot different from this. I don't know a thing about ballroom dancin'."</p>
<p>"Oh..." Ben looked troubled. He was thinking and he seemed to want to say something but it was like he couldn't figure out what exactly it was.</p>
<p>"I mean, come on," Harry continued for him, despising the awkwardness of his silence, "I know I <em>look</em> like I belong here with these fancy clothes and stuff, but I guarantee I've never been more out of place in my entire life. And I told ya' this was gonna happen. But ya' had to go show me up, didntya'?"</p>
<p>"Oh," Ben said again and this time, his troubled expression had turned to discomfort. Harry rolled his eyes and let a smile slip through to reassure Ben that he wasn't completely upset.</p>
<p>"As I said before, you Auradon people are somethin' else," Harry added, shaking his head.</p>
<p>"Well, I mean," Ben was still having a difficult time answering but he managed to ask, "Are you at least having a little bit of fun?"</p>
<p><em>'I was till my boss cut me off,'</em> he thought, but decided against saying. Honestly, Harry wasn't having as bad of a time as he thought he would. It wasn't a good time, but it certainly wasn't bad. He had given Ben a hard enough time as it was about the ordeal. Maybe he deserved a break.</p>
<p>"Alright it's not completely terrible," He said, which sparked hope in Ben's eyes, "I definitely enjoy the free food and drinks, but that was to be expected," He searched for something else, "And... Well..." He was coming up empty, "It has been... entertaining I guess... It's an experience."</p>
<p>Well if that wasn't obvious enough that Harry wasn't having a great time, he didn't know what was. He saw disappointment cross Ben's expression.</p>
<p>Well this was getting awkward.</p>
<p>"Honestly, Ben," His hazy mind struggled to come up with something to add. To change the subject, "It's a great, proper party but... I'm far more interested in learning what's so special about Auradon that ya' won't stop naggin' me about it."</p>
<p>"Oh," Ben said <em>again</em>, but this time, there was a bit of urgency to his voice. A hopeful urgency. "I- I mean I can show you around, if you want?"</p>
<p>Huh. Well Harry wasn't expecting an offer like that. He had honestly said that solely to give some reassurance to Ben, but now that he reanalyzed his words, he realized they kind of did come off as a request. Harry was left slightly unsure, but the thought of stepping out of the ball and speaking to Ben alone actually sounded inviting. I mean, merely minutes earlier he had been wrapped up in the wonder of if he would even get to talk to the Ben he knew again. And getting out of this ball? Of course the suggestion was more than inviting.</p>
<p>But Harry was a bit skeptical of Ben's ability to even leave the party he was hosting.</p>
<p>Harry narrowed an eye, "I mean, I would love a free tour by the Auradon King himself, of course... But don't you need to- I don't know- stay here?"</p>
<p>"Well-..."</p>
<p>"I mean, ya' said ya' needed to talk to your parents or something?"</p>
<p>"Oh.. uh... yeah I did say that, didn't I?" Ben looked to the side in troubled thought and scratched his head, "I kind of just said that to get out of dancing to be honest. And if I'm being more honest, the last thing I want right now is to talk to my parents."</p>
<p>"Oh? What did King Benny do this time?" Harry raised an eyebrow, and gave him a teasing grin. Ben laughed, but it came out almost painful.</p>
<p>"I may uh- I may have really pissed them off after my speech."</p>
<p>"Because of how bad it was?"</p>
<p>"No, because- Wait... What?" Ben suddenly shifted to a lighthearted expression of offense. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but the corner of his lip was slightly raised in amusement, "Was it really that bad?"</p>
<p>"I mean..." It was Harry's turn to look off in a desperate attempt to find words, but Ben quickly cut him off before he could.</p>
<p>"Well you weren't even paying attention to half of it, Harry, so how would you know anyways?" He put his hands on his hips as he shifted the ridicule onto Harry. Now, Harry was not going to have any of that. Don't turn this on him, Benny.</p>
<p>He huffed a scoff, "I was paying enough attention to see ya' stumblin' and sweatin' over yer words."</p>
<p>"Yeah," Ben frowned, "After you made me lose complete track of my thoughts. Thank you <em>so much</em> for that, by the way."</p>
<p>"I'd like to think my completely unintentional contribution made it better, okay? So let's not put all this on me."</p>
<p>"I can't believe you. I thought I did fine considering my lack of preparation."</p>
<p>"Okay, okay, you're right. I'm sorry." Harry conceded, putting up his hands. Ben squinted, but then his smile was creeping back to his face in achievement. Harry smiled as well, then added, "It definitely wasn't the <em>worst</em> speech you've given."</p>
<p>Ben's mouth dropped and the sight of his dismay made Harry internally laugh.</p>
<p>"That... does <em>not</em> make me feel better." Ben was frowning as Harry looked off toward the other end of the ballroom still snickering at his reaction. His eye fell onto the lavish bar that Ben had pointed out in the beginning of the party. The idea sparked an eagerness within Harry and he turned back to Ben.</p>
<p>"Well anyways, if it's fresh air yer wantin' then that makes two of us. I'll take ya' up on that kind offer of a tour."</p>
<p>Ben was still frowning, clearly not wanting Harry to deflect the previous conversation, but he rolled his eyes and shook his head in reluctant surrender.</p>
<p>Harry gestured to the bar and said, "And perhaps, along the way we can grab a quick drink?"</p>
<p>Ben glanced over to the bar, then back at Harry. He finally let his grin come back to his face, then laughed to fully shrug off his leftover frown, "Fine. That sounds great."</p>
<p>"Great," Harry said, and he placed his hand on Ben's shoulder and added with a smirk, "Just a quick drink to settle yer nerves for the next speech ya' have to give, ya' know?"</p>
<p>And with that, he turned and started toward the bar before he could see the second, more hilarious wave of dismay in Ben's expression. <br/>
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<p>Ben didn't know exactly why he had so quickly jumped to offer to show Harry around. He really wasn't sure whether or not he could actually leave the ball and get away with it. He already upset his parents with his announcement, and now he was just going to break the camel's back by leaving the party.</p>
<p>But there was some strange, significant tugging within Ben when Harry had indicated so clearly that he wasn't having a great time. It was almost painful to him. Maybe because he still felt so guilty about forcing him to come. Maybe because he felt foolish buying him such an expensive suit that he probably would never use again in his life. Maybe it was simply because his desire for Harry to have a positive experience was far greater than he originally thought.</p>
<p>Whatever the reason, it hurt when Harry struggled to answer positively. Ben really wanted Harry to have <em>some</em> fun, and it was like his body was on a roll of impulsivity. His emotions were all over the place and he couldn't control any of it. So when Harry brought up the idea of seeing the rest of the castle, Ben immediately jumped on it.</p>
<p>Now, as the two men made it to the bar and Ben saw the new eagerness in Harry's eyes, the question of whether he was able to leave the ball or not began to slip out of his mind. Who cared. If the King wanted to show a guest around the castle, he could, right? I mean, didn't this fall under the whole "making personal connections with the people" that his mom recommended of him?</p>
<p>It was important to Ben for Harry to have a good time, and honestly, he needed to get away from the party for a bit, too.</p>
<p>Both Ben and Harry leaned on the bar, waiting patiently for the bartender to finish the drinks he was currently making to serve to the other few patrons. The bartender seemed to pick up his speed, however, when he saw Ben and his crown arrive.</p>
<p>"So, Ben, what's yer poison?" Harry asked as they waited.</p>
<p>The question came as a bit of a surprise to Ben, and suddenly his mind was racing for an answer. As if whatever drink he defaulted to was going to make or break the impression he had on Harry. </p>
<p>"Wait, don't tell me," Harry put up his hand before Ben could speak. Ben watched Harry with anticipation as he squinted an eye and looked him up and down for a moment before tilting his head to the side- as if the answer were obvious- and saying, "Old Fashioned?"</p>
<p>Huh. Well. Ben wasn't expecting that. But he wasn't exactly surprised that Harry managed to guess one of the few drinks Ben ever defaulted to. He wasn't going to tell him that, though, so he simply squinted an eye in skepticism.</p>
<p>"What makes you say that?"</p>
<p>"Because, Ben, nothing screams I-want-to-impress-my-stern-aristocratic-father more than an Old Fashioned. And you don't strike me as someone very... <em>adventurous</em> with alcohol. So the classic Old Fashioned is the safest option."</p>
<p>Well. So much for making a good impression.</p>
<p>Ben rolled his eyes, but the fact that Harry's statement was not entirely far-off made him laugh in his own self-criticism. Before he responded, Harry leaned over the bar and called for the bartender to make one Old Fashioned.</p>
<p>"Okay wow," Ben shook his head, but he couldn't even respond in any witty way that he wanted to, so he said, "Thanks, Harry. You really know how to make someone feel great about themselves."</p>
<p>"Oh well that's my specialty," Harry gave him a sharp grin, then Ben noticed his eyes traveling around his body. They dropped down, then back up again and the sharpness in his smile fell into a more sincere look. He shifted his body then continued.</p>
<p>"Well, it's also a strong drink. Noble. Classy. Likable," He held his eyes on Ben for a moment longer, "It's luxurious- a bit showy- but also... sweet in nature."</p>
<p>The sincerity in his voice was a surprise, and the way he spoke made Ben hold his breath. That was actually... nice. Like, strangely nice. Ben couldn't take his eyes off of Harry. There was a tugging sensation in his stomach as his words repeated in his head. Oh God, was he <em>blushing</em>?</p>
<p>To his rescue, the bartender came back and placed the freshly made cocktail in front of Ben, giving him an excuse to look down and away from Harry.</p>
<p>"Well?" Harry pressed, "Am I wrong?"</p>
<p>Ben picked up the short, robust glass and stared at it for a brief moment before taking a sip. He welcomed the familiar, strong taste of whiskey combined with sugar. He looked back at Harry and the familiarity in his reaction to the drink must have been an obvious enough answer because Harry laughed and said:</p>
<p>"You absolutely drink those un-ironically. That was too easy."</p>
<p>Ben rolled his eyes, but he wasn't going to make a fool of himself by trying to deny it.</p>
<p>Harry went on, "Do you even enjoy drinking that? Or is it just the taste of high-class you enjoy?"</p>
<p>Ben laughed guiltily, "I mean, it <em>is</em> an acquired taste."</p>
<p>"Oh trust me, I know about those," Harry scoffed. Ben wasn't a hundred percent sure what he meant by that, but he just went along with it with a laugh. Harry leaned further on the bar again, then tilted his head in a loose, alluring posture, "Well then, would you like to try to guess <em>my</em> drink of choice?"</p>
<p>Ben lowered his drink. Internally, he was hoping Harry wasn't going to ask him that. It wasn't like Ben knew <em>nothing</em> about drinks, because he had his fair share of knowledge, but Harry was right when he assumed Ben wasn't exactly adventurous. The only reason he really had knowledge of liquor was because the setting he grew up in called for frequent fancy cocktail parties. It just came with being a part of the Auradon council and having a father that loved throwing these parties.</p>
<p>"Okay, well..." Ben tried to think, but there was only one answer that seemed the most obvious, "I mean, I'd have to say rum."</p>
<p>A hissing laugh came from Harry and he leaned more toward Ben, "Just rum? Well that's very stereotypical of ya' now. What, Because I'm a pirate ya' think I'm running around drinking straight rum all the time?" Ben felt embarrassment swarm him. Harry laughed again and gestured to Ben with his head, "Come on, Ben. You can do better than that."</p>
<p>Ben felt himself freeze momentarily. After such a nice sentiment from Harry, and all Ben could come up with was rum? No, he could do better. Come on, think.</p>
<p>"Uh- I'm sorry... okay. Okay, fine then... ummm... well..." Ben began going through the cocktail parties he could remember and the different drinks he saw and tasted. Come on, there was <em>one</em>. Ben tapped his finger on the bar while Harry waited with anticipation.</p>
<p>"Hmm. Something strong, but also fun, you know?" Ben thought for a moment longer, then a worthy answer struck him, "Mmm, maybe a Daiquiri?"</p>
<p>Harry tilted his head to the other side, and with a raise of an eyebrow he beckoned Ben to explain. Ben took his cue and cleared his throat.</p>
<p>"It's still rum, but more vibrant and flashy. And they're pretty versatile," He looked at Harry's suit. The slimness of its fitting. The vibrancy of the red. How tall he looked. Every sharp and elegant feature of his face. He could fool anyone into thinking he really was a prince. In fact, seeing him now, Ben struggled to even accept the fact that this man really was a pirate. He continued, "They can be a great party drink, but they can also be very classy when you present it that way."</p>
<p>Ben felt a nervousness beating in his heart as he watched Harry watching him. Then he smiled again and went on, drawing in a level of honesty he hadn't been expecting from himself, "And they're the perfect balance of bitter and sweet. But however you drink it... they're still strong... And dangerous."</p>
<p>Harry held his eyes on Ben, then he looked off to the side to someplace else in the ballroom. Then his lips twitched in what Ben could have sworn was a hint of chagrin before he looked back up.</p>
<p>He said, "Wow, I guess you're more of an alcohol connoisseur than I thought."</p>
<p>"Did I get it right?" Ben asked, only half hopeful.</p>
<p>"No."</p>
<p>"Oh... really?"</p>
<p>"I've never ordered a Daiquiri in me life, Ben. But... I truly appreciate the sentiment."</p>
<p>Ben didn't know if he should feel embarrassed or not, but he simply shrugged and asked, "Well, then what is your drink of choice?"</p>
<p>Harry snickered, "Oh you had it right the first time."</p>
<p>"Seriously?"</p>
<p>"I'm a pirate, of course I drink straight rum. Ya' think I can afford to be drinking cocktails every night? Nope. It's a good, cheap bottle of rum for me."</p>
<p>The beating in Ben's heart had come back stronger. His face was at war with his impulse to smile like an idiot at Harry's teasing.</p>
<p>"Well," Ben said, "I think tonight you need a classier drink to match that classy suit of yours."</p>
<p>There was an uncertainty in Harry's eyes, but Harry had been allowed to steer the mocking energy long enough, so before he could argue, Ben called for the bartender again and ordered Harry a classic traditional daiquiri.</p>
<p>Minutes later, the bartender returned with the bright drink presented in a round, elegant cocktail glass. Harry studied it for a minute, then gave Ben a suspicious look.</p>
<p>"That's a woman's drink, Ben."</p>
<p>"What? No it's not."</p>
<p>"Look at it. Yes it is."</p>
<p>Ben scoffed, "I see men drink these all the time, Harry. Plus, there's no such thing as a woman's drink. Just drinks that men are too ashamed to drink in public."</p>
<p>"Oh, I <em>never</em> said I was too ashamed to drink that in front of everyone," Harry grinned, "I'll drink a damn frozen-fruity-whatever if it gets me drunk."</p>
<p>Ben laughed at his defense, then said, "Oh good, because I really didn't take you as one to reinforce gender stereotypes."</p>
<p>"Oh yeah?" Harry raised his eyebrow again, "And why's that?"</p>
<p>"I-... well... I mean..." Ben stammered, suddenly placed on the spot. Oh God, they were going back to the painful lake situation now, weren't they? But Ben stopped stammering for a moment and simply looked at Harry with a sliver of hesitancy before he shoved it away and said, "I mean, you wear <em>eyeliner</em>."</p>
<p>By the way Harry leaned backwards, it was like he truly was not expecting Ben to make that point. He blinked in exaggerated offense.</p>
<p>"Hey now, don't be bringin' me gorgeous makeup into this. This eyeliner has gotten me more women than you could ever imagine."</p>
<p>Ben snorted a laugh, then watched him in admiration for a second before saying, "I believe it, Harry."</p>
<p>Harry then snatched up his drink proudly. Ben brought his glass up towards his and said, "Cheers," before clicking his tumbler against Harry's glass.</p>
<p>"Cheers," Harry tipped his head to Ben, then they both took their own separate sips. Harry stared at the drink, allowing himself a moment to analyze the taste before he reported, "Huh, it's not what I was expecting. It's sweet and tart. And definitely makes me feel quite... classy and <em>noble</em>." His hand waved dramatically at the word "noble". He took another sip.</p>
<p>"Well <em>you</em> are the Prince of Neverland, after all," Ben reminded him with a grin.</p>
<p>Harry straightened himself and looked off to the distance to say, "Prince, Harry, of Neverland, who drinks daiquiris and attends Royal Dances in his past time."</p>
<p>Internally, Ben did not want to admit to himself just how good it felt that Harry was now carrying on this joke with him rather than Chad. He may not have been able to admit it to himself, but that didn't stop his smile from showing on his face.</p>
<p>"He sounds like quite the gentleman," Ben said in a voice much lower than he intended. The two remained quiet, subconsciously beaming at each other. Ben hadn't even realized how long they stood like that, before he remembered their original plan. He blinked away from Harry's gaze and said, "Well then. How about we take these drinks to go and I can show His Highness around the Auradon castle as promised?"</p>
<p>As soon as he said that, he could have sworn he saw <em>Harry</em> blush. But it was such a split second that Ben was convinced he was hallucinating. Ben turned to the bartender to call for the check and naturally, reached toward his pocket to pull out his wallet. He brought it halfway up, when a hand quickly came down on his wrist to stop him. Ben looked up at Harry with a look of question.</p>
<p>"Oh, Ben, please," Harry said sincerely, "Let me pay for <em>something</em>, for once."</p>
<p>The gesture was polite, but Ben could only stare, struck with confusion at Harry. He looked to the side in an awkward manner before saying, "Uh- are you sure?" Was there an inoffensive way to put this? "These drinks aren't exactly... cheap, Harry."</p>
<p>"It's fine, it's fine," Harry waved his hand at Ben dismissively before reaching into his own pocket and bringing out a lavish, leather wallet. Ben could only stare in dismay as Harry pulled out a wad of cash and he thought to himself for a quick second that maybe Harry really was a Prince of Neverland. And he had pretended to be a pirate the entire time.</p>
<p>But just then, Ben snuck a glance at the inside of Harry's wallet and the ID that was presented in the opening. Just briefly, Ben caught sight of Chad's smiling face on the photo of the ID before Harry closed it. Ben's mouth dropped and suddenly he was robbed of his words.</p>
<p>Harry put a bill worth a hundred dollars down on the table- despite the combined drinks costing maybe eighteen- and slid it to the bartender saying, "Keep the change."</p>
<p>There was a momentary silence.</p>
<p>"Harry... did you <em>steal</em> Chad's wallet?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Let Your Heart Be Your Tour Guide</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Did ya' think I had me hands all over him because I <em>liked</em> him?"</p>
<p>Harry put Chad's wallet back into his pocket, picked his drink back up, and took a step away from the bar. He twirled around, careful not to spill the daiquiri, and looked to the nearest door which was actually only a few paces away from the bar. Assuming that's where Ben had intended to go, he started in that direction.</p>
<p>"I mean," Ben began following after him, "Everyone at the table sure thought so."</p>
<p>When they reached the side door, Ben took a quick glance toward the rest of the ballroom, most likely looking to make sure his parents weren't seeing him leave, before he opened it and held it for Harry. Harry slipped into the next room before he responded.</p>
<p>"Aye, no," He laughed, "No, I've never met anyone straighter than that boy."</p>
<p>Ben stood back to allow the door to slowly close behind him. When Harry looked over at him, he saw a puzzled expression. Then when the door closed fully, Ben glanced off to the side.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I was wondering how far you'd get before that was made apparent."</p>
<p>"Oh it was very apparent," Harry responded, recalling Chad's complete oblivion to any of his flirting, "Besides, he's not my type, anyways."</p>
<p>Ben remained where he stood, the puzzled look on his face only fading slightly. He seemed to be deeply thinking over Harry's words before he laughed nervously.</p>
<p>"Oh, is that so?" He asked before he finally walked away from the door and past Harry. Harry took another sip of his drink, watching Ben and his faltering expressions. It was almost like as soon as the doors closed and the two were left to the rest of the castle alone, Ben was <em>another</em> version of Ben.</p>
<p>Now who was <em>this</em> version?</p>
<p>Harry began following after him and the two started down a large, beautifully structured hallway.</p>
<p>"Yes. Chad held practically the single worst conversation I've ever had. Don't get me wrong, he was entertaining and more than fascinating... but what made him so fascinating was just how dreadful the conversation was."</p>
<p>Ben laughed nervously again, but this laugh seemed to be a bit more reassured, "Did you get to hear all about his castle? Or about his multiple maids?"</p>
<p>Harry's head began to spin again. He shook it.</p>
<p>"Honestly, I can't remember the majority of it. And that's probably for the best."</p>
<p>The two of them made their way down the hall and the further they got from the ballroom doors, the quieter the music grew. They walked in an easy, strolled pace, without a single rush to get their detour over with. Harry noticed Ben had shoved his hands into his pockets and was looking mostly at the ground in front of him.</p>
<p>"Yeah," Ben said, eyes still focused downward, "But... we shouldn't pick on Chad too much. He has his moments, but when you've been around him long enough you eventually just accept it."</p>
<p>"Aye. There's someone very special out there for him," Harry chuckled, "But... I <em>don't</em> think it's me."</p>
<p>Harry felt Ben's gaze finally rise from the ground and fix onto him. He held it there in a strange silence. Had Harry been one hundred percent sober, he probably would have detected something behind the look and begun trying to dissect it. Right now though, his body was swarmed with a buzzing sensation which channelled into an impulse to continue talking rather than thinking.</p>
<p>"The real reason I had any interest in Chad to begin with was because of Evie naggin' me about true love. I mean, you know how Evie is, that's apparently all she thinks about, of course. But anyways, when she came over for the first suit-fitting-thing she was tryin' to convince me of the great time I'd have at this ball by sayin' I'd find my one true love here," Harry was swinging his hand around as he recounted the story, "And if <em>that</em> wasn't ridiculous enough, she went on to suggest that perhaps I needed to find someone of <em>royal status</em> to find this true love with." Harry didn't notice himself glance unintentionally at Ben when he said those words.</p>
<p>"Oh did she?" Ben tried a smile, his eyes shooting back forward and toward the ground.</p>
<p>"Yes. And to prove how severely misguided that suggestion was, I simply proposed the only logical bachelor I could think of. Chad Charming."</p>
<p>Ben chuckled. "I take it she tried to convince you otherwise?"</p>
<p>"Yes, absolutely."</p>
<p>"Yeah, Chad didn't exactly give her the best true love experience."</p>
<p>"So I heard all about- as punishment for my foolish joke. Who knew the good, pure Auradon boys had it in them to break a heart like Evie's?"</p>
<p>"Hey, don't group <em>all</em> of us in there," Ben feigned a mocking defensiveness, but his smile broke through the act.</p>
<p>"I'm just saying. How can Evie expect me to find my true love in a place riddled with heartbreakers?" Harry put his hands over his heart in exaggerated despair.</p>
<p>"There's a few bad apples, okay? But other than that Auradon is like.. the <em>perfect</em> place to fall in love."</p>
<p>"Oh? Is that the first fact of the tour? Because we're only five minutes in and I already can't tell whether or not I can trust another thing my tour guide says," Harry squinted an eye teasingly. Ben waved his hands in reassurance.</p>
<p>"I promise- and you can quote me on everything- nothing I <em>ever</em> say about Auradon is biased or untrue. It's all indisputable facts." His sneaky grin indicated even he knew how inaccurate that claim was. The way Ben expressed his subtle hint of self-awareness made Harry want to laugh. Ben said a lot of things about Auradon- most of which made Harry wonder if he had ever even ventured outside of the place. He spoke so highly of it and most of the time it came across as Ben trying to convince himself more so than Harry. It was a bit laughable before, but now with that small grin which told him Ben was fully aware of his own bias tendencies, it was all <em>completely</em> ridiculous. This entire attempt to convince Harry to love this place. It was ridiculous.</p>
<p>It was ridiculous, but in the most admirable way. Harry may not agree with most of what Ben claimed about Auradon- or at least he was not convinced- but he did admire the devotion behind all of it. And now, seeing Ben grinning in guilty acknowledgment of his own bias, that admiration grew a bit stronger.</p>
<p>Ben turned to look around at their surroundings, which made Harry shake out of his thoughts, realizing they had finally made it to another significant area of the castle. The hallway they had been walking through opened up to a wider space and there was a turn in the hallway just up ahead.</p>
<p>Around that turn, there were two massive doors with long steel handles in the center.</p>
<p>"Well, I guess to actually start the tour..." Ben pushed open the doors to reveal a room far more vast than the ballroom they had just come from. Harry hadn't seen a room nearly as big as the ballroom before, so when the doors opened up to this new, even larger area, his mouth nearly dropped open. Ben stepped inside and looked around eagerly before turning back to Harry, "This is the Great Hall. It's like the main area of the castle."</p>
<p>"Dear God," Harry said, stepping inside and staring in awe. He stared up at the ceiling which was too high up to tell just how big the room actually was. Across the room was an altar made of marble which held four thrones atop of them. Then, high above that was a stained glass window of a very typical image of Belle and Adam as Beast. Harry almost wished it weren't so late outside so that he could see it's full effect in the sunlight. It was probably overwhelmingly magnificent. He continued searching the rest of the room, analyzing the pillars along the sides and the balconies along the second story. Harry huffed facetiously, "I was worried you were gonna tell me this was your bedroom."</p>
<p>Ben laughed, paused for a second, then said, "Oh no, my bedroom is <em>way</em> bigger than this."</p>
<p>Harry immediately turned to him with suspicion, "Ben, don't fuck with me. You know I <em>completely</em> believe that."</p>
<p>"Oh my God, Harry," Ben was still chuckling, "No, my bedroom is actually <em>not</em> this big. Shocking. I know."</p>
<p>"I don't know whether to be relieved or disappointed to hear that," Harry tapped his chin before turning back to the rest of the enormous room. Ben only chuckled some more, then allowed Harry another moment of gaping before speaking again.</p>
<p>"We mostly hold ceremonies here and sometimes more formal public meetings. Sometimes feasts."</p>
<p>"Ah, is this where they held your baptism?"</p>
<p>Ben fell silent and raised an eyebrow, "Do you mean my <em>coronation</em>?"</p>
<p>"Hey, I don't know <em>anything</em> about the formalities of the kingdom, okay?"</p>
<p>Ben laughed before he shook his head and clarified, "Yes, this is where I got coronated."</p>
<p>"Mmm," Harry continued looking around, staring at the Auradon banners that draped across the walls, "And how was that?"</p>
<p>"It was-... wait they aired it on TV... You didn't watch it?"</p>
<p>Harry turned back to Ben, tilting his head, "Remember just thirty seconds ago when I said I know nothing about the Kingdom's formalities?"</p>
<p>"...Yeah?"</p>
<p>Harry shrugged, "Well, as much as I don't <em>know</em> about all of it, I also don't exactly <em>care</em>."</p>
<p>Ben sighed, then threw up his hand halfway in surrender before turning to exit the Great Hall, leaving Harry to chase after him still cackling.</p>
<p>"Aye, Ben, don't take it so personal. I was just a bit... busy at the time," Harry could not remember at all what he had actually been doing during that significant ceremony and he was almost positive that whatever it was, it wasn't a good enough excuse for not watching the King's coronation.</p>
<p>"Oh, let me guess," Ben said after he closed the Great Hall doors and carried on back down the hallway, "You were polishing your <em>hook</em>?"</p>
<p>Harry side-stepped away from Ben, staring at him in amazement by his audacity to make such a personal attack. Benny, Benny, you've become quite snide haven't you? You're growing too complacent for your own good. Harry was certain this more "fiery" attitude was within Ben this entire time as he'd shown it more than once before, but it was only this day that he seemed to really be reciprocating Harry's teasing in a rather impressive manner. And, In all honesty, Harry found that to be a far more attractive trait than he expected. It was exciting in a way.</p>
<p>"Hey. Do <em>not</em> undermine the importance of that task, Ben," Harry waved his finger at Ben, trying to feign offense, but Ben only laughed which... well... was even <em>funnier</em> to Harry. God, he was really glad he was doing this rather than standing around bored out of his mind at the ballroom. Getting to separate from that fabricated setting and be himself again. To breathe again. More than just that, he was glad Ben was separated from that setting alongside him as well. It felt really good to be here with him. And the fact that it was Ben who suggested it and it was Ben who seemed first eager to step out with Harry. The fact that Ben seemed to want to be with Harry as much as Harry wanted to be with Ben. <em>That</em> felt good.</p>
<p>"Well, Ben, I must apologize sincerely for missing out on the biggest day of your life. But, if you remember, most of us on the Isle were still a bit <em>salty</em> about everything at the time. So yeah, maybe we didn't care much then, but I am genuinely curious. How <em>did</em> it feel to be crowned an actual King?"</p>
<p>Ben let out a breath of air and Harry didn't know whether or not to take that as a positive or negative reaction to the question. He examined Ben's conflicting expression, waiting patiently for him to gather his thoughts and respond.</p>
<p>"Huh," Ben said finally, "It's kind of strange, actually. Because I never really looked at it in such a broad sense. It was pretty much instilled in me from the second I was born and it's something I prepared for and was reminded of every day of my life so I never got like a single shocking moment of realization that I guess most people would expect. But I mean it's still the biggest honor ever and getting crowned was the most exciting moment of my life. I was thrilled and very nervous. That was of course before everything went down, but other than that the moment was incredible."</p>
<p>"Hm." Harry tried picturing what a moment like that would feel like. It was such a strange concept when you really thought about it. Being crowned a king. At <em>sixteen years old</em> nonetheless. What the hell was Harry doing at sixteen years old? Nothing responsible, that's for sure. Jeez, if Harry could make decisions for an entire kingdom at sixteen, everything would be a complete disaster. Then again, Ben had both of his parents as his advisors who probably made certain the fate of the kingdom wasn't <em>entirely</em> in the hands of a sixteen year old kid. Still, it was a strange concept.</p>
<p>"Well," Harry said, "Not many people can say the most exciting moment of their life was being crowned a king."</p>
<p>"Yeah, I guess not," Ben laughed awkwardly, "Like I said, it was the greatest honor. There's not much else I've experienced that can really compare to that."</p>
<p>Harry found that response to be particularly interesting. I mean, of course becoming a King would be number one of anyone's list of greatest experiences. But... there's not much else that can compare? Really, Ben? You aren't at least going to <em>acknowledge</em> the moment you got down on one knee and popped the question to the love of your life? Harry wanted to laugh, but instead, he decided to give Ben a chance at clarifying. His fingers tapped strategically against the stem of the glass he held.</p>
<p>"I can imagine," Harry said, "So then... what would you consider to be the <em>second</em> most exciting moment of your life?"</p>
<p>"Oh, gosh," Ben looked up and to the left in deep thought.</p>
<p>Wow, Ben.</p>
<p>"Probably bringing down the barrier," He said.</p>
<p>Okay, fair enough. Maybe that would be a bit more... significant to most people than getting engaged?</p>
<p>"And then probably bringing Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos into Auradon?"</p>
<p>To give him the benefit of the doubt, that did kind of fall under "meeting" the person you proposed to. Harry had a feeling though that that wasn't exactly what Ben was implying. Well that was technically three chances, and Harry wasn't even sure if Ben realized his answers lacked the single one that would have been the most obvious to anyone else. Getting engaged. True love's kiss. Meeting Mal. I don't know, any of those?</p>
<p>Wow Ben. You must have been very serious when you said you were questioning your love for Mal. In fact, your lack of love for her must be a lot bigger of a problem than you were making it out to be. Maybe it was a bigger problem than you were willing to admit? At this point, Ben wasn't just questioning his true love for her. It was deeper than that. He was so terrifyingly apathetic to their relationship that he wasn't even realizing it. Harry actually felt slightly unsettled and even a bit guilty standing next to Ben as this went through his head.</p>
<p>He had to bite his tongue and force the thought out of his head before his internal ramblings became external.</p>
<p>"What about you? What was the most exciting moment of your life?"</p>
<p>Harry hadn't been expecting Ben to throw the question back onto him like that. His mind immediately went blank and he was unable to look back for a solid, qualifying answer. He thought about making some joke about an engagement being the most exciting moment, but he quickly reconsidered that.</p>
<p>He couldn't think of anything serious and he really didn't want to <em>try</em> to think of anything serious. Any moment of his life he deemed exciting was in no way comparable to being crowned a fucking <em>King</em>. On top of that, right now was the worst possible time to draw up his childhood on the Isle. Not only because he was slightly intoxicated- and the whirlpool of emotions that came out of one's inability to fully control their mind was less than desirable to deal with- but because he simply did not want this moment to be crushed by a drop in mood.</p>
<p><em>'Nope, don't think about that,'</em> Harry fought his internal desire to fall down the rabbit hole of drunken emotions by staring straight ahead and forcing himself to remember the things that happened within the last month rather than the last twenty-two years of his life. His mind continued to spin and looking down at the drink in his hand made him dizzy for a second. When looked back up and realized Ben was staring at him, still waiting for an answer, he forced a smile and said:</p>
<p>"Well I'm quite particularly fond of pushing you off a cliff. That was a very exciting moment of my life."</p>
<p>"Oh yeah. That was <em>very</em> exciting." Ben looked less than pleased at that answer, but he had probably picked up on Harry's reluctance to respond because he didn't pursue it further. Instead, he awkwardly looked in front of himself, perhaps realizing that maybe asking a pirate who grew up trapped on an impoverished island what the most exciting moment of his life was, was not the most considerate idea. As awkward as the atmosphere immediately became, Harry had to admit that it was kind of funny.</p>
<p>Luckily, Ben switched the subject as the hallway opened up into a larger space around them.</p>
<p>"We're at the front of the castle now. This is the common area and the first thing guests see when they walk in."</p>
<p>Harry looked around and he was sure he had been in this part of the castle before. It had been so long though, his mental map of the place was completely lost. The area they were in was more modernly decorated than the Great Hall. There was ornate furniture, swede rugs, and elegant wall decor. And the front doors were just as massive as the ones to the Great Hall. To the right of those doors was a wide staircase that was ready to invite anyone that entered the castle up to the next story.</p>
<p>"Further down the hallway that way are the rooms for the staff, workrooms like kitchens and pantries and storerooms and stuff. Up on the second floor is where the offices are, including mine and the council room. Then there's the guest rooms and the royal chambers."</p>
<p>"Ah," Harry nodded, "So your Great-Hall-sized bedroom is just right up those stairs."</p>
<p>"Yep," Ben laughed, "Right up those stairs. Although I prefer taking the elevator directly to my room."</p>
<p>Harry slowly turned to face him, showing nothing but distrust. Ben kept a straight face for only five seconds before he broke out into a grin again.</p>
<p>"I'm joking. My bedroom does not have an elevator. and it's like... a <em>twentieth</em> the size of the Great Hall, okay?"</p>
<p>"Again, I don't know if I should be disappointed or not."</p>
<p>"I mean, now that I think about it, an elevator directly to my room does sound pretty cool."</p>
<p>"Yes Ben, go and use the taxpayer's hard earned money to build yourself a bedroom elevator. Maybe a waterslide while you're at it?"</p>
<p>"That's not a bad idea, actually," Ben gave him a half-sneer to which Harry rolled his eyes before giving in to a helpless laugh. Was Ben becoming more adorable or was that just the alcohol? Harry looked between Ben and the daiquiri in his hands before taking a sip and looking to the doors.</p>
<p>He nodded once, "Well is this the end of the tour? Because that was quite short."</p>
<p>"Uh. It doesn't have to be?" Harry was secretly hoping he'd say that. "But if I showed you the entire castle we wouldn't get back to the ball in time."</p>
<p>"Ben you're trying to convince me of what makes Auradon so special."</p>
<p>"I know, I know."</p>
<p>"Okay then... If you could take me one place that would achieve that, where would it be?"</p>
<p>"I mean most places are closed right now because of the ball. But... Well, let's see..." Ben searched deeply, then he offered a shrug, "We could go to the museum? There's a lot of cool stuff there."</p>
<p>"A museum?" Harry couldn't keep the cringing expression off of his face, "Are we going to read an Auradon history textbook together too while we're at it?"</p>
<p>"No," Ben laughed then turned toward the door, gesturing for him to follow, "Come on, I promise you'll find it way more entertaining than you think."</p>
<p>"I'm only agreein' because it sounds less dreadful than dancin' at the ball."</p>
<p>Ben continued to beckon Harry with a sudden wave of bubbly enthusiasm, which left Harry no choice but to accept his own small, secret wave of enthusiasm and follow after him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. History in the Making</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The museum had been a lot quicker of a walk than Harry expected. They had gone through the courtyard and passed the school all within a walk worth only minutes. And up ahead, there was a building with the same baroque structure as the castle and the school, which Harry assumed to be the museum.</p>
<p>Harry looked to Ben beside him, then back toward the building ahead.</p>
<p>Harry was right in saying that going to the museum with Ben sounded less dreadful than being back at the ballroom. But then again, Harry was starting to realize that going anywhere with Ben would be... "less dreadful" than most things right now. And by less dreadful, he meant it would actually be pleasant.</p>
<p>Yes, being with Ben was pleasant, okay? That was already concluded long before. What hadn't been concluded- and was becoming a lot clearer now- was that Ben's company was becoming something a bit different to Harry than what it was before. And not only that, but it was a bit different than his company with- say- <em>anyone</em> he considered a "familiar acquaintance".</p>
<p>It could be because he never contemplated his attraction to his everyday familiar acquaintances like he had with Ben. And because he <em>had</em> contemplated his attraction to Ben, it was now all that was on his mind when he was <em>with</em> Ben. It certainly made up a solid portion of his attention throughout their conversations. But with the physical feeling inside of him and the way he felt this magnetic field pulling him in when Ben said something snarky or flattering, Harry wasn't so sure that it was just due to his own recent <em>focus</em> on attraction. This... very well could <em>be</em> attraction. Genuine attraction.</p>
<p>To <em>Ben</em>.</p>
<p><em>'King Benjamin.'</em> He thought the words with the same level of disbelief that he had a hundred times before within the last couple of weeks. As if thinking those words would somehow solve this puzzle. But it didn't. In fact, adding "King" in front of Ben's name only worked to put into perspective just how nonsensical this entire internal conflict was. It would trigger his rationale into reconsidering the full scale of the situation. The circumstances. The differences. The improbability that someone like Harry could even consider a romantic endeavor with someone like Ben. Not just because of the circumstances of Ben being married, straight, and loyal to the traditional ways of the throne, but because Harry should be smarter than that. He should be smarter than allowing someone in such an impossible, far-reaching position to lure him in like this. Each time he reminded himself of this, those feelings within him would jump to a million different places at once.</p>
<p>He was content with the idea of being attracted to Ben. That was normal.</p>
<p>He was <em>not</em> content with the idea of <em>liking</em> him.</p>
<p>It would be utterly astounding to Harry if he did. But he wasn't even sure if he did and, if he wasn't <em>sure</em> he liked him as anything more than a friend, then did he really? If he wasn't sure, then it would be easy to just forget about it all completely.</p>
<p>So much for claiming to be so in tune with your emotions, Harry.</p>
<p>What a lie that was.</p>
<p>"Welcome, Harry, to Auradon's Museum of Cultural History," Ben hopped up a few of the steps and extended his arm outward to address the building before them. He must have picked up on Harry's lack of excitement because he added, "Come <em>on</em>. There's tons of really cool things in here. Pieces of history, stories, magical weapons and objects."</p>
<p>"You <em>know</em> how much I love magic," Harry muttered.</p>
<p>"Yeah, don't get any ideas, please," Ben replied, hopping up the next few steps, "One curse is enough."</p>
<p>Harry cracked a humored grin then took a long drink before following him up the steps to the doors of the museum. Ben opened the door for Harry to enter and as soon as Harry stepped inside he was met with tranquil, dim lighting and an atmosphere that made the surface of his skin tingle with a chill. Instantly, he could feel the power that lingered all about the interior of the building.</p>
<p>Harry stepped further into the lobby of the museum. The room was rounded and tall with marble walls and pillars. The front desk was positioned along the far end of the wall but just before that, fixed in the center of the room, encompassed by a barrier and lit brightly by a spotlight, was a large wooden spinning wheel. It almost glowed in the light and Harry was immediately drawn to it's charm. He moved forward with slow, curious steps toward the spindle and he hadn't even noticed the security officer behind the front desk rise out of his chair to speak.</p>
<p>"We're actually just about close- oh! Your Majesty..." The security guard stopped himself before he could finish his sentence, and his eyes widened in surprise at the abrupt appearance of his king.</p>
<p>"I'm just giving my friend a quick tour. We won't be long," Ben gave the security guard a warm smile which made him nod quickly and sit back down.</p>
<p>"Of course, Your Majesty. Please, stay as long as you'd like."</p>
<p>Ben, along with Harry, turned his attention back onto the spinning wheel in the middle of the room. Ben remained where he stood while Harry moved around the circular railing that barricaded the spinning wheel to experience the full 360 view of the artifact. It wasn't that it was even an interesting item to Harry- nor did he really care too much for the story behind it- it was just something about the magic that still lingered within it that was so magnetic.</p>
<p>Well they had only taken a few steps in and Harry was already proven wrong. Maybe this place was as interesting as Ben claimed. Or maybe Harry was just tipsy enough at this point that just about anything that was flashy enough would be successful in captivating him.</p>
<p>Harry looked back at the drink in his hand. It was a little over halfway empty as he'd been trying not to down it the way he had the champagne. It was actually a strong drink, unlike the champagne that's for sure, and he had wanted to hold off on his endeavor of reaching full intoxication while he was in Ben's company. So he was working through it slowly. Even then, the strength of the drink only added on top of the four, five, or six glasses of champagne that he had, which meant no matter how methodically Harry drank this daiquiri, his tipsiness was only increasing.</p>
<p>He blinked away another wave of blurring vision and looked over at the drink in Ben's hand. Ben's drink was also over halfway gone. His cocktail was way stronger than Harry's- being made up of mostly whiskey- but Ben was a lot more responsible of a drinker and therefore wasn't piling his liquor over nearly as many glasses of champagne as Harry. Harry was curious if Ben was feeling anything at all- or if he was going to feel anything. That would probably be funny to see. Drunk Ben. Harry wouldn't have to feel so left out as the only one under the influence.</p>
<p>"The start of the museum is this way," Ben jutted his thumb toward the other end of the lobby, where the opening of the main hallway was. "There's a whole lot, so we better get through it as quickly as we can before we have to get back to the ballroom."</p>
<p>"But Ben," Harry said, looking between him and the spindle, "If I just prick my finger here I'll fall into a coma I wouldn't even <em>have</em> to go back to the ballroom."</p>
<p>"Let's... not do that." Ben glanced nervously at the security guard. Harry followed his gaze, then looked back at Ben before jokingly lifting his finger toward the spindle. Ben immediately came forward and grabbed Harry's arm to yank him away from the spinning wheel.</p>
<p>"Harry, oh my <em>God</em>." Ben checked to make sure the guard wasn't watching before dragging Harry away, who couldn't help but laugh. Ben huffed, "Could we at least try <em>not</em> to kill ourselves within these next thirty minutes. Please."</p>
<p>"Is this not an interactive museum?"</p>
<p>"No you can't touch items that have <em>barriers</em> around them and signs that say 'Do Not Touch'. Because they might be- I don't know- <em>dangerous</em>."</p>
<p>"It would only have been a nap, Ben," He said, allowing Ben to drag him to the opening of the hallway while he still laughed.</p>
<p>"More like a nap you would never wake up from. Unless you and Evie somehow figured out who your true love actually was to kiss you awake."</p>
<p>"Well if Evie's correct, it's got to be somebody at the ball, so that would narrow it down greatly, don't ya' think? They could all form a line and kiss me one by one. It's <em>bound</em> to be one of 'em, so, problem solved."</p>
<p>Ben didn't immediately respond and an ounce of worry washed over Harry when he suspected that maybe Ben was actually upset with him for jokingly reaching toward the spindle. This was a museum after all. And misbehavior was probably not tolerated well here. But before Harry could worry too much longer, Ben rolled his eyes and humor peaked out from behind the tight line of his lips.</p>
<p>"Right," Ben snuck him a side glance, "We'll start with Chad then, I guess."</p>
<p>Harry laughed again, "Ha! Now that would be a sight to see."</p>
<p>Ben didn't respond further, but it was still relieving to Harry knowing that he wasn't upset. And not only that, but seeing Ben actually laughing felt good. Not just to this joke, but all of his jokes. All of his teasing. It was, of course, very enjoyable weeks ago before the two had become friendly with one another, when Harry's teasing brought Ben the utmost discomfort and annoyance. Now, however, seeing Ben actually laughing and reciprocating was a completely different level of enjoyment. Who would have ever guessed they'd come this far? Certainly not anyone that was still back at the ballroom, unaware of their absence together, that's for sure.</p>
<p>Harry looked down at his arm, which Ben was still holding on to despite the fact that they were already in the next room. Harry didn't think Ben had even realized, since he seemed so focused on the items displayed in this new place they had reached. As if Harry noticing it were a subliminal cue, Ben had let go and walked over to the display closest to them.</p>
<p>"Look," he said, and Harry joined him to see the first row of artifacts. The first item that stood out was a glass slipper which reflected the lighting with a glittering effect. The label beside it read "Cinderella's Glass Slipper". Then, exhibited behind the slipper was an enormous light-blue and silver dress which gleamed as brightly as the shoe. The label beside the dress read "Cinderella's Ballgown". Harry took only a brief moment to examine the items before moving onto the left of them.</p>
<p>He immediately recognized the lamp that sat in the next display case as the Genie's lamp. He halted in front of it, leaning closer to allow his eyes to pick up every detail of the golden, embroidered lamp. A strange sensation rippled through him as he examined it, since he had heard so many stories about the lamp from Jay's father speaking non-stop about it. Seeing it in person now was almost unreal. Like he never actually expected the lamp to truly exist. Now that it did, right in front of him, it was actually a little underwhelming. Then again, there was no genie trapped inside to give it the same sense of magic as it probably had in Jafar's stories.</p>
<p>"This room is mostly full of objects that aren't exactly enchanted, but have a significant story behind them."</p>
<p>Harry moved on to the next display to see a small bottle with a tag that read "Drink Me" and beside that, a tall top hat. He turned around to the rest of the room and took another long drink from his glass, forgetting his plan to not inhale this serving of liquor. Only a few seconds later, Harry felt a shower of shivers run down him, but he was sure this time it wasn't because of the magic in the museum's atmosphere. His eyes started to water as he forced himself to continue to look around the room and ignore the distracting sensations as much as possible.</p>
<p>On the other side of the room was a shelf the size of half of the wall which displayed easily a hundred different potions. The bottles were different colors and shapes but each had a small label wrapped around them with print too tiny for Harry to even make out.</p>
<p>"Don'tya' think it's a bit unsafe for you to have all of these potions on display like this? I mean, I could just break this glass and take all of 'em."</p>
<p>"Yeah, we've increased our security quite a bit, actually. It's not just glass that's blocking you from taking those. Most of the glass display cases are also enchanted with a spell that makes them unbreakable. We've had one too many incidents to let it happen again."</p>
<p>"Huh, well I guess that's... less concerning?" Harry frowned, but looked on past the shelf of potions.</p>
<p>The wall space beside it was decorated with various pendants and small carvings that Harry wasn't sure- and didn't really care too much to read- what the story behind each one of them was. He swayed around the room for another minute, examining the different objects before his internal urge to carry on became too strong to suppress.</p>
<p>Not that these items weren't interesting. It was just that this new wave of intoxication had brought with it a desire to not remain in one place for longer than a few moments. There was this energy starting to build inside him. A jumping energy cloaked by a physical weight to his body which pulled him down from anything he tried to focus on for too long. The internal and external sensations were incompatible where inside, Harry had a restless eagerness to find something exciting and fulfilling, but outside, he was in too much of a struggle to catch up to fulfill that eagerness. There really was only one thing he could think of that would allow those two conflicting sides of him to meet in harmony. One thing that would fulfill the desire for excitement while also uplifting the gravity that was pulling at him.</p>
<p>And that was simply talking to Ben. He wanted to keep him laughing. He wanted to carry on with their tour not because of Harry's desire to learn, but because it was so entertaining to see Ben speak enthusiastically about everything. It was just... really nice.</p>
<p>Man, this alcohol was starting to really catch up to him hard.</p>
<p>"Come check out this next room!" Ben said, waving him back over to the next door. It was like he had read Harry's mind. Harry took another drink to hide his impulsive grin and walked after Ben.</p>
<p>Ben added, "I think you're gonna like this one," before the two entered the next area which was a wider room built in a circular form much like the lobby. The first thing Harry noticed when he stepped in was that the walls were covered in a vast collection of different weapons from swords, to daggers, to tridents, spears, and shields.</p>
<p>Now <em>this</em> was captivating. He allowed his overwhelmed eyes to wander along the walls at the array of weapons. Every single one was unique in its design and every single one was presented in a manner which indicated there was a story behind their existence. It took him a minute of gawking at the collection on the wall before his eye finally caught the main displays in the center of the room.</p>
<p>He moved toward the tables and looked through the glass case of the first one to see a brilliant sword, resting atop a satin spread. The wood of the table was engraved with the label "Excalibur". The sword looked polished and sharp, but the handle was rubbed of it's gilding from the thousands that must have attempted to pull it from it's stone.</p>
<p>To the right of Excalibur was another sword who's label read "Sword of Mulan". To the left of Excalibur was a far larger table which held a massive, golden trident that glowed under the light. King Triton's Trident.</p>
<p>At this point, Harry was amazed by how Auradon managed to collect all of these incredibly significant historical weapons. Who could possibly find and contain the trident of King <em>Triton</em> for God's sake? This museum must have been very dedicated to collecting all artifacts of magic and history that it possibly could. No matter who originally owned it.</p>
<p>"Shit, Ben. You've gotta be kidding me," Harry turned back, noticing his words slipping slightly, "I can't believe while all of us were rotting away in the Isle, you were in here playing with all of these legendary tridents and swords."</p>
<p>"We don't get to <em>play</em> with them, Harry," Ben muttered, "They are strictly for display and educational purposes."</p>
<p>Harry was dumbfounded. He tilted his head. "You're telling me the first thing you did when you were crowned King <em>wasn't</em> demanding to hold fucking Excalibur?"</p>
<p>Ben's nose scrunched up and he looked off in wonder. "You know, I actually never even considered doing that."</p>
<p>"Unbelievable. You're wasting your title, Ben," Harry shook his head in dissatisfaction.</p>
<p>Ben chuckled, "Hey, I'm sorry I was too busy trying to bring people into Auradon. You know, so you all <em>wouldn't</em> have to rot away at the Isle."</p>
<p>Harry held up his hand in assurance, "I would have completely understood."</p>
<p>Ben laughed again and Harry felt that bubble of satisfaction return.</p>
<p>"Okay," Harry continued, feeling the weight in his body pulling him toward his desire to keep the air in that bubble of satisfaction, "Well then let's exercise that authority now. You take Mulan's sword, I'll take Excalibur, and we can have a quick, fun practice round?"</p>
<p>"Why do <em>you</em> get Excalibur?"</p>
<p>Harry scowled, "What, because you're the King out of the two of us, you get to play King Arthur?"</p>
<p>Ben dipped his head, "You literally just got finished telling me I need to exploit my position as King. So yeah."</p>
<p>"Damn," Harry brought his forefinger to his lip in brief thought, "Touché."</p>
<p>Ben's smug expression quickly transformed back into his exemplary wide smile of amusement. Harry felt that bubble inside of him grow. He swayed toward him, intending to carry on with tour of the museum, but the room around him twirled at the movement and an imaginary force pushed the upper part of his body ahead of his feet making him wobble forward and almost directly into Ben. Ben's free hand came up to Harry's chest in an impressive reflex to steady him and Harry responded by grabbing onto Ben's shoulder as he regained his balance.</p>
<p>"Shit," Harry whispered, then he broke out into another small fit of laughter at his own ridiculous loss of balance.</p>
<p>"Are you good?" Ben asked, still holding onto his own amused grin despite the growing concern.</p>
<p>"Yeah, yeah," Harry shook his head, "I'm completely fine. Lets uh- carry on with the tour."</p>
<p>Ben chuckled as he watched Harry straighten himself and said, "Okay."</p>
<p>Harry moved around Ben, toward the exit of the room and allowed his hand to linger on his shoulder until he was past him. His hand brushed along the firm material of his suit before it dropped back to his side. He didn't immediately feel Ben follow behind him which made Harry suddenly question if maybe that subconscious gesture had been a bit overstepping. Well, he hadn't exactly done it with any particular intention. His brain certainly wasn't at a complete level of functionality to make any movement with full consideration, so he couldn't give a reason for holding his hand on him in the manner he did. His body was simply beginning to do things before his mind could process and guide it.</p>
<p>They exited the room of weapons and made their way down a hallway lined with several other artifacts on display, which Harry mostly faked an interest in. They made it to the other end of the hallway before Ben spoke again after his long silence.</p>
<p>"This next room is probably the most popular," He said and stood by the entrance to allow Harry to walk in first. Harry couldn't help but notice the way Ben watched him walk past him and through the open doors. He couldn't exactly sense what emotion Ben was giving off, and while he expected some awkwardness from the previous physical contact, there surprisingly wasn't any of that. He knew for sure it wasn't awkwardness. But... what <em>was</em> it?</p>
<p>The next room they made it to hit Harry with that same sensation he had felt when he first stepped into the museum. This sensation was much stronger and it definitely was not from the alcohol. No this was pure magical energy.</p>
<p>"This room is for all of Auradon's most significant items and enchanted objects," He explained.</p>
<p>Harry's gaze wandered around the room. There was a simplicity to each display which actually made every object present its own importance in a stronger manner. Harry recognized most of these items. The Enchanted Rose. Jafar's snake staff. Mal's Spellbook. Evie's magic handmirror. Maleficent's sceptor. And the object closest to him; Ursula's cauldron.</p>
<p>Harry looked beside him, studying the cauldron before he moved on to look at the rest of the items.</p>
<p>"I'm surprised Ursula hasn't come demanding this back," Harry said, recounting the stubbornness of Uma's mother.</p>
<p>Ben remained where he was in the entrance of the room and said, "Yeah, we luckily haven't had trouble with the... previous owners of a lot of these items."</p>
<p>"She gave Uma quite a hard time about holdin' onto her magic shell," Harry crossed his arms, "But there's no way Uma's givin' that up."</p>
<p>"Yeah," Ben muttered, "Not even to the museum. We've tried to convince her."</p>
<p>Harry stepped away from the cauldron and strolled toward Jafar's staff, saying, "Well, I understand her reasoning. I mean, you've experienced the Isle at its best. You never know when yer gonna need somethin' like that magic shell to protect ya'."</p>
<p>"Yeah, I guess," Ben said, taking a sip of his drink- which was the first time seeing him do so in a while. He shoved his free hand into his pocket and stared at the cauldron, "But all it takes is it getting in the wrong hands."</p>
<p>Harry glanced back at Ben with a questioning eye. He wasn't going to debate Ben on Uma's decision to hold onto her necklace because, while he would defend his captain to his death, he also had to sympathize with Ben. This poor guy had been the victim of magic more times than probably anyone in history. More times than anyone Harry could think of, at least. He felt an uneasiness watching Ben and then he was almost guilty for even wanting to defend Uma's decision.</p>
<p>"Well, Ben," Harry cracked a grin to bring back the light air from before, "You can rest assured that I will do everything in my power to keep that shell in the right hands. No one but me will be allowed to use it to cast spells on ya'."</p>
<p>At first Harry wasn't sure if Ben found any humor in the joke, but then Ben's cheeks blushed a shade of pink and he released a huff of a snicker and shook his head.</p>
<p>"That's very comforting, Harry, thank you." Ben smiled toward the ground, almost like he was hiding his obvious blushing.</p>
<p>Well... <em>was</em> that blushing?</p>
<p>"It would be my honor," Harry added, holding his eyes on Ben. Wow he certainly was the most attractive when he hid in embarrassment at Harry's jokes.</p>
<p>Ben turned away to approach the Enchanted Rose in the center of the room and Harry was almost disappointed that he had. God, he really wanted to keep talking to him. At this point, he wasn't really that interested in anything that was in this museum except for Ben. Which, admittedly, sucked because he knew that the more he spoke to Ben, the more jumbled his own emotions became. And the more he jumbled his emotions became, the more difficult it would be to move on and accept the fact that all of this was for nothing anyways. This all was so incredibly one-sided and it was a waste of time trying to advance anywhere emotionally.</p>
<p>But even though the sober part of Harry's mind was shouting this reasoning out with a megaphone, the overpowering, intoxicated part of his mind only focused on one thing. That it was too rewarding being with Ben to stop here and now.</p>
<p>Harry walked around the room and stopped in front of the magic mirror.</p>
<p>"Aye, the Evil Queen's infamous magic mirror," Harry remarked, hoping that perhaps a fake interest in the artifacts would keep Ben talking.</p>
<p>It did.</p>
<p>Ben looked over from where he stood in front of the Enchanted Rose and said, "It has the power to give you the answer to any question you desire," He shrugged, "And the most I saw Evie use it was to cheat on her chemistry test."</p>
<p>Harry nodded his head in consideration and said, "Well... Smart girl," before looking back to the mirror in the glass display. He squinted his eyes and leaned closer to it, seeing his own freshly groomed face in the reflection. He cleared his throat and spoke in an exaggerated, formal voice.</p>
<p>"Mirror, mirror, on the wall," he said and noticed Ben throw a questioning glance over at him, "Who's the <em>handsomest</em> of them all?"</p>
<p>Harry waited several seconds, but the mirror didn't sparkle with magic like he expected. It made no indication of any sort of effect. It just remained on its display reflecting Harry's own face back to him.</p>
<p>Unless...</p>
<p>That meant...</p>
<p>"<em>Me?</em>" Harry placed his hand on his heart with astonishment. He heard Ben laughing as he made his way over to Harry.</p>
<p>"I... don't think the mirror actually works for you."</p>
<p>Harry shook his head, "I don't know what ya' mean, Ben, it seems to be workin' perfectly right now." Harry gestured to his own reflection in the mirror, "It's showin' the only proper answer."</p>
<p>"Oh, right," Ben said, stopping beside Harry and the mirror, "Of course."</p>
<p>Harry narrowed his eyes at Ben, "What... do you think its <em>wrong</em>? You <em>don't</em> think I'm the handsomest of them all?"</p>
<p>Harry had intended it to be a lighthearted joke to be laughed off as anyone else would. He definitely wasn't expecting Ben to completely freeze up at the question like he did.</p>
<p>In fact, he could have sworn he also saw Ben's face become a shade paler.</p>
<p>"I-" Ben chuckled awkwardly. He looked off to somewhere else in the room before he said, "I think Uma's right," He forced a smug look at Harry, which was clearly faltering with his embarrassment, "That suit has definitely made you full of yourself."</p>
<p>Avoiding the question, are we?</p>
<p>Harry could only stare at Ben, trying his hardest to not overthink the hesitation that Ben was radiating. But it was really, really hard not to.</p>
<p>That small, sober part of his mind that was shouting how wasteful his emotional investment in Ben was, was now silent. It had suddenly vanished at the sight of Ben's blushing cheekbones. The way he turned so desperately to escape the spot Harry had unintentionally put him in.</p>
<p>Harry's eyebrows unknowingly raised as Ben turned away from him and looked on to Mal's Spellbook beside them. He was suddenly desperate to continue this conversation. To press Ben into facing the question head on so he could gain clarity as to why exactly he had grown so visibly hesitant. Was Harry reading into it too much?</p>
<p>Maybe Ben was just naturally this awkward about everything. Like he was at the lake on the subject of sexuality. Maybe he needed to give Ben the benefit of the doubt and conclude that he was so flustered because he wouldn't know how to answer a question like that from <em>anyone</em> that asked it.</p>
<p>But something told him that wasn't it. Something inside of him was begging for him to not settle on that conclusion. Not solely because Harry himself wished somewhere deep within him that his emotional investment in Ben wasn't a total waste, but because he refused to accept that there wasn't a reason for Ben to act the way he had around Harry this entire night so far.</p>
<p>At the buffet table.</p>
<p>At the bar.</p>
<p>Harry had admittedly been flirting with Ben, whether or not Ben had been as oblivious to it as Chad had been... it was flirting. He had no ulterior motive to it and he had tried to keep himself from reading into the way Ben reacted for the good of his own mind and for the fairness of Ben up until now. Harry had been innocently flirting with Ben the entire time they had been alone together.</p>
<p>And every single coquettish remark or joke he had made was either returned by Ben, or met with the same flustering and blushing he was doing right now. If you could say every joke that Harry made to Ben was undeniably flirtatious, as it most likely would be to anyone that had viewed it from an outside perspective, then what the hell would you say every joke that Ben made back to Harry was?</p>
<p>Normal conversation?</p>
<p>Was it just normal conversation when Ben called him the perfect balance of bitter and sweet? Or strong and dangerous? Was it just normal conversation when he said he sounded like "Quite the gentleman"? Or that he'd "show His Highness around the Auradon castle as promised"?</p>
<p>Was it just Ben being his normal self when he joked and blushed and hid his smiles at Harry's teasing? Was it him being his normal self when he went out of his way to speak to him alone at the buffet table? Or to leave his own party to show him around the castle?</p>
<p>Was it just Ben being his normal self when he had a suit that cost God-knows how much tailored for him just so he could come to one Royal Ball for one single night?</p>
<p><em>Fuck</em>.</p>
<p>See? This was not okay. This thinking was not okay. This was exactly why Harry had to be smarter. Ben was the King of Auradon who had hundreds of responsibilities and plans that came before someone like Harry. He had a fucking fiancee.</p>
<p>Stop reading into it.</p>
<p>You don't even like him, really, so why does it matter? This is just you trying to haul your philandering tendencies into the Auradon castle and up the social ladder. You can get away with that shit at the Isle, but this... This, Harry, was flying too close to the sun.</p>
<p>There was a blackness pulsing on the outskirts of Harry's vision as he stared absently at Ben. He so desperately wished he could read his mind.</p>
<p>What was Ben thinking as he studied the spellbook under the glass?</p>
<p>Let's just... go back to talking. Going down a rabbit hole of thought while intoxicated was not the best idea. Nothing you thought even mattered because you didn't even have the best idea of what you were thinking and it just left you lost and frustrated. Harry's mind pushed itself forward and he moved to stand next to Ben.</p>
<p>He wasn't even sure how to carry on with conversation after that. He just about forgot the last thing Ben had said, anyways.</p>
<p>God this was really starting to suck.</p>
<p>"Well," Harry decided to go with, "If the mirror doesn't work for just anyone, would <em>that</em>?"</p>
<p>He wasn't genuinely interested in the question, but he wanted Ben to keep talking to save himself from the dangerous depths of his own mind.</p>
<p>Ben seemed almost startled by Harry's question, as if he hadn't felt him approach. He glanced at Harry- his normal color had returned to his face- and looked back at the spell book.</p>
<p>"No. You still need some experience with magic. Or to be born with it- like Mal."</p>
<p>"Well, darn. My next option was to spell myself into being so handsome even you couldn't deny it."</p>
<p>Ben chuckled and for a second, Harry thought he'd start blushing again, but he instead just rolled his eyes and said, "I'm sure there are spells for that in there. That's what makes it so dangerous."</p>
<p>"<em>That's</em> what makes it dangerous?" Harry cocked an eyebrow, "Handsome spells?"</p>
<p>"Yeah. And other spells just like that," Ben explained, "A lot of the spells in there may seem very insignificant, but even using spells like those can create a really bad habit. That's why Mal gave it up to the museum. She had started using spells for just about everything. And even though they seemed small, it was like her dependency on the spell book completely consumed her."</p>
<p>"What do ya' mean Mal was using magic for everything?"</p>
<p>"Before she ran back to the Isle a few years ago, she had, I guess, been a bit overwhelmed living here in Auradon. But instead of adapting to it all, she started using her spell book to get by on doing everyday things rather than doing them herself. Like... changing her hair, or even making food. On one of our dates she had made this entire picnic for us- it was really impressive and a wonderful gesture. But then I found her spell book in the basket and she had bookmarked a spell for transforming a sandwich into a full feast. So the entire basket of food she brought and said she had made was actually just a PB&amp;J sandwich," Ben's expression was recalling the disappointment of that memory, "Even though it wasn't anything extreme, it really hurt that she did that. I would have been perfectly happy with the PB&amp;J sandwich. Not only because they are great, but because it was about the gesture and not how extravagant the food was."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, but are you saying P, B, and J?" Harry narrowed his eyes in hope for clarification. Ben returned his unexpected question with a similar, more confused expression.</p>
<p>"...Yes. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Have you never had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before?"</p>
<p>"No, Ben. I cannot say I have." In fact, Harry hadn't ever had the majority of the food he just ate at the <em>dinner</em>. This strange "sandwich" couldn't possibly have been more surprising to Ben once he considered how little they had at the Isle.</p>
<p>"Huh..." Ben looked off to the side in wonder, then back at Harry with a grin, "Well they are magical on their own. You've got to try one as soon as possible."</p>
<p>"I'll put it on my bucket list. Now, please continue."</p>
<p>"Okay. Anyways, yeah it may seem like nothing crazy, but then after I found out the entire picnic was basically a lie, she then tried to cast a spell on <em>me</em> to forget it. Which- I mean, was taking the situation way too far. So you can see how this spell book is dangerous."</p>
<p>"Hold on, you're saying she spelled you <em>twice</em>?"</p>
<p>"..." The way Ben opened his mouth- it seemed like he was going to respond, but several seconds passed and he hadn't said anything. Harry gave him a few more seconds and watched him furrow his eyebrows in confusion. Finally he said:</p>
<p>"Well, no. She didn't actually spell me, she got the words wrong and I caught her before she could."</p>
<p>Harry was not buying his defense. He was not going to let that major point of concern just casually slip away.</p>
<p>"...So... She spelled ya' once... And <em>attempted</em> to spell ya' again..."</p>
<p>"...I mean... Yeah... But..."</p>
<p>Jeez, no wonder why Ben was practically deranged in his paranoia of Harry spelling him.  The number of times this boy has had something casted on him was already more than he could count. And that was just including the times he knew about. Did Ben even know what <em>not</em> being spelled was like?</p>
<p>And to stand here and even think about defending his own fiancee using magic on him like that. Shit. He was either in an unhealthy state of denial, or he was so determined to pretend like everything was completely normal, that he was willing to simply ignore it entirely.</p>
<p>"Ben, you do realize how fucked up that is, yeah?" Harry's mouth sputtered the words too quickly for his hazy brain to stop.</p>
<p>"She wasn't in the right state of mind," He frowned, refusing to look at Harry when he spoke, "Like I said, the spell book is dangerous. Magic itself is dangerous and it can influence good people to do wrong things."</p>
<p>"Gee I wish you had given me that kind of benefit of the doubt when ya' thought I spelled ya-"</p>
<p>"Can we not talk about this?" Ben asked sharply, still keeping his gaze forward and not on Harry.</p>
<p>Harry rocked backwards as if the words had physically hit his chest, then he held up his palm in surrender and shook his head. He wasn't going to press the issue further if it caused this much grief to just address it.</p>
<p>"Yes, Your Majesty," Harry muttered, "My apologies."</p>
<p>He watched Ben swallow the rest of his whiskey in one gulp before he dropped his hand back to his side and rubbed the bridge of his nose with the other. He closed his eyes, then sighed.</p>
<p>"Sorry," He said, "I'm sorry. Just-... give me a second. I'll catch up with you."</p>
<p>Harry remained where he was, watching Ben with as much concern as his pulsing mind could give. He had to admit he was a bit bothered by Ben's sudden shift in attitude, but then again, maybe Harry's remarks weren't exactly the most appropriate to make on a sensitive subject.</p>
<p>Harry felt a cloud of faintness looming around his head. He nodded his head to the side and said, "Of course." He pivoted around on his foot to face the exit, his compromised balance making him to pivot a bit too far, but he regained his coordination quickly and carried on toward the door.</p>
<p>"If I get lost in this museum and ya' never find me again, it's on you," Harry warned on his way out, deciding there probably wasn't any harm in exiting on a more light-hearted note. He glanced back at Ben briefly to see not much had changed on his expression, before he slipped out of the room and back into the main hallway.</p>
<p>Well that entire conversation had gone rather poorly.</p>
<p>'<em>Don't mention to the King that it's bad that the Queen spelled him. Got it.</em>' Harry thought grudgingly as he wandered down the dim hallway. Aggravation filled his chest and even anger started to creep its way in there. He wasn't aggravated at Ben... well maybe he was a little bit, but it wasn't for anything he <em>did.</em> It was mostly because it bothered him how Ben was so clearly affected by the situation, yet he did absolutely nothing to resolve it. If Ben had said "Yeah, Harry, she spelled me, I don't care. We're all past it", even that would have sufficed. He would have still thought it was ridiculous, but if Ben fully acknowledged it and genuinely did not fret over it, Harry would happily drop the subject.</p>
<p>Except that wasn't the case. This was something that still disturbed Ben and he probably hadn't even come to terms with what happened. And his refusal to acknowledge it was incredibly frustrating. But whatever. This wasn't Harry's issue and there was no reason for him to be getting worked up about it. Besides, it was probably incredibly shitty for Harry to cast any judgement over Ben's inability to handle the situation in a healthy manner. I mean... he was a victim.</p>
<p>See? This is why drinking and thinking was a bad idea. His emotions were jumping around without the guidance of a rational mind. Now he was pretty much victim-shaming.</p>
<p>Ugh. Harry rubbed his drooping eyes.</p>
<p>'<em>Focus on something else. Ben will come around in a bit.</em>' Harry allowed his eyes to wander the grand hallway. Each time his gaze jumped any significant amount, his vision would cloud with black and the room would lag behind. He probably wasn't in the best physical or mental shape to be wandering a dark museum alone.</p>
<p>Ben should have given him a tour <em>before</em> he chugged five glasses of champagne and a cocktail. Harry sighed, then brought his glass to his lips to finish off the rest of the drink, but it wasn't until he tilted it back that he realized he already had. Huh. He actually could not recall drinking the rest of that. He blinked heavily then focused in front of him.</p>
<p>Although, while Harry could rationally acknowledge he was too drunk to be wandering too far, he still failed to let that stop him from carrying forward. He swayed down the hall, admiring the design of the stone walls and pillars. The paintings on the walls. There was a certain creepiness to the dark uninhabited museum that was alluring to Harry. And pairing that with the absence of half his mind, the swirling physical euphoria, and blurred vision, it was almost like he was walking through the setting of a dream.</p>
<p>He moved through the chilling air, every step he took making the hallway around him feel even more abstract. The hall seemed to get darker and darker and the magical sensation he had felt when he walked through the front doors had been leaving him. This new area took that sensation and turned it into something colder and as lifeless as a stone. There was an uncertainty within Harry, but his curiosity drew him forward.</p>
<p>The hallway opened up into several separate, vast rooms, with large arched entrances. The rooms were dark inside. He could make out colorful, organic figures lit up by spotlights among their darkness, but his incompetent vision couldn't discern any features that could clarify what they were. The obscurity of the figures in the rooms were magnetic, pulling him in with curiosity. </p>
<p>What... was....</p>
<p>Harry's feet carried him toward the room ahead of him, but once the hallway opened up, his gaze moved to the room on the right. It had the same type of colorful figures- which he could see more clearly now- propped up on sculpted stands.</p>
<p>What... <em>Who</em> were...</p>
<p>He looked over at the room to the left.</p>
<p>More figures. They were people. They were-</p>
<p>His heart stopped.</p>
<p>His body fell numb to the tips of his fingers.</p>
<p>A shattering noise exploded from beneath him, beside his feet, but the pulsing in his ears  was so loud, so overwhelming he barely heard it. His stomach twisted and he couldn't pry his eyes away from who was standing in the middle of the room, staring back at him with a look so ghostly. So ruthless.</p>
<p>And so impossibly alive.</p>
<p>His mouth parted slightly and when he spoke, his voice croaked and faltered from the unsteadiness of his breathing.</p>
<p>"D-... Dad?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. The Elegant Captain Hook</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>CW/TW: This chapter includes heavier subjects like Emotional/Panic attacks and discussion of death.<br/>This chapter is split into 2 parts so skip to ~2~ to pass the heavy subjects and get to the fluff!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em> <span class="u">~1~</span> </em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Harry was paralyzed.</p><p>His muscles grew tense at their refusal to move even the slightest. They couldn't move. He couldn't move.</p><p>If he moved, his father would vanish. If he made any movement, he would break himself out of the dream he was in, and his father would disappear as he did every other time he opened his eyes. He couldn't let that happen. He had to keep him there as long as possible. He could control it now. He could keep him there.</p><p>He could-</p><p>Nausea and weakness crashed into Harry and the room that was spinning around him spun faster. And faster. And before Harry knew it his legs underneath him gave into the disorientation. He quickly found himself close to the tile, his hands taking charge and managing to catch the rest of his body before he fell entirely on the ground.</p><p>
  <em>'No... Dad... Stay here... I'm just... I'm...'</em>
</p><p>Harry struggled to stabilize the room. To look back at his father. He was cursing himself for moving. His father would leave...</p><p>But when he looked back up he was still there. He was right there.</p><p>The sickness spun with the room around him. The intoxication took over his body entirely. The emotions that were jumping around before were now pulsating uncontrollably. They pulsed so intensely and there were so many of them that they overwhelmed him to the point of a complete inability to feel anything except the physical pain in his chest.</p><p>Harry's breathing began to quicken in its pace. It increased in its weight. He couldn't look away from his father. He was gripping at his chest from the pain as if he could simply grab it and tear it out.</p><p>His body started to shiver.</p><p>"Harry I swear to God if you broke something!"</p><p>Ben's voice echoed in the distance, past the wall of pulsing blood in Harry's ears.</p><p>He couldn't look away from his father.</p><p>"Harry?" Ben's voice echoed again.</p><p>'<em>Harry</em>...' He could hear his father say.</p><p>"Harry oh my God!" Ben's voice broke through the pulsing. Harry could only feel his footsteps as he ran to his side. "Are you okay?"</p><p>Then he felt hands pressing on his shoulder.</p><p>"Harry, come on," Ben wrapped his fingers around the top of his arm, "Come on, get off the glass." His other hand wrapped around his back and Harry could feel Ben gently tugging him to the side. Despite Ben's tugging, Harry still felt paralyzed and his heart rate and breathing was still rising and intensifying. He felt his eyes begin to sting from holding them open. They began to water, which impeded his vision even more on top of the blur that was already there.</p><p>"Hey, look at me," Ben's voice was soft. Worried, but firm. When Harry blinked away the tears, he saw the King's face looking straight at him. "Come on. Let's get off this glass." Again, his hands tried to guide Harry up.</p><p>Seeing Ben's eyes in front of him, looking into his, sparked a calmness. Something to cling onto to pull him out of the spiraling hysteria he was falling into. Harry looked past Ben, back to where the figure of his father stood.</p><p>"It's..." Harry's throat tightened and the tension was expressed in his voice, "It's him... That's... My dad..."</p><p>"I know," Ben nodded again, moving his head over to block Harry's gaze, forcing him to regain eye contact, "But it's just a sculpture, Harry. It's just a wax figure. Please, get off of the glass."</p><p>Harry blinked away another build up of tears before looking down. The cocktail glass he had dropped was now a puddle of shards scattered around his hands and knees.</p><p>"Come on," Ben said, and this time Harry worked with his guidance, finding the strength to pick himself back up. Ben helped him to his feet and suddenly the blood in his body was pulsing less in his head and back into his legs. He looked back into the room. A wave of lucidity allowed him to finally see the other figures that were arranged within it. Dr. Facilier. Gaston. Ursula. They were all there.</p><p>His father, though. The red coat. The hat. His hair. His eyes. Everything.</p><p>It was him... It...</p><p>Another wave of nausea hit him. His eyes were once again locked on the figure. His body was pulled forward out of Ben's hands and toward his father. He walked carefully into the room, the closer he got to his dad the tighter his throat grew. The tighter his chest grew. The pain was aching. His heart was beating so hard.</p><p>"Harry..."</p><p>His father was standing atop a platform that was sculpted into the shape of the bow of their ship. He was in an elegant, powerful pose with his sword extended in front of him as if daring any opponent to battle. His hook, where his other hand should have been, was held out behind him. He had on his face a harsh grimace. A toughened, stern look that Harry only saw when he was faced with someone who challenged him.</p><p>Harry stood under the figure, staring up at the uncanny shape of his father. The pulsing had come back and his emotions were radiating through him again, except this time they felt like they arrived with a purpose. Before they were so chaotic and unregulated, but now it felt like they had all morphed into one giant wave of sorrow. And that wave was collecting and growing and ready to crash over him.</p><p>"Harry, are you okay? Are you bleeding?"</p><p>Harry couldn't respond. Not with this threatening wave of grief he was trying to force back.</p><p>"Hey..." Ben's fingers brushed on Harry's arm.</p><p>And that simple empathetic touch brought with it the force of the tsunami. His heart jumped out of him and his lungs convulsed in agony. He could no longer hold back the tears. They flowed along with the wave, out of his eyes and down the sides of his face. He sucked in a breath, but it only lasted a second before it forced itself back out in a weak, unsteady cry. His palms came to his face, pressing over his eyes.</p><p>"God... Ben... I-..." His voice was heavy, the pit in his throat making the words come out with an awkward wobble.</p><p>Ben remained silent, but he was there and the comfort of his presence was the only thing that brought security to the overwhelming disorder around him.</p><p>"I-..." Harry tried so hard to get his words out cohesively, but everything was weighing him down and his drunken mind wouldn't allow for easy control. Harry swallowed, trying to force the pit in his throat away. "I miss him so much."</p><p>"Harry..." Ben's voice brought another glimmer of clarity. It was a floating buoy in the middle of the dark sea that Harry desperately wanted to pull himself out of. He wanted to swim back to the surface and stay afloat. Ben stepped closer and although there was a hesitation to his motion, his energy still offered comfort.</p><p>There wasn't much Harry's mind could do against his instinct to grasp onto it. There was no power behind the rational voice that typically grounded his actions. He didn't care what his sober voice would say. He didn't care about the hundreds of ridiculous ways it could be interpreted. He didn't care about anything except what his body told him was right.</p><p>When Ben reached out again, Harry turned into him and before that voice in his brain could stop him he wrapped his arms around his torso and held onto him tightly. He buried his face into Ben's shoulder and suddenly the magical sensation that had left before, returned. It filled the space around them. The warmth and the pleasure that exploded from holding him this close felt so right that he lost his motive to fight against the pain. Ben's presence did that for him.</p><p>"I'm sorry," He heard Ben's quiet, soothing voice say, "I'm so sorry, Harry."</p><p>The tears continued pouring out of his eyes. He heard Ben, but he didn't want to respond. He didn't want to speak anymore. He just wanted to remain there, holding him because it was the only thing that felt good at the moment.</p><p>And so they remained there for a period of time that Harry couldn't keep track of. They remained there until the sorrow began to subside. Until the wave began to recede. Harry had his head still buried into Ben's shoulder as the pain started to transform into an exhaustion and his tears gradually grew less and less.</p><p>After nearly all of his energy burned away and all his tears left his eyes, he could finally feel a surge of his sobriety returning. Like most of the alcohol had left his body with his tears. He was still in a daze and was not fully sober, but he felt more balanced. More calm.</p><p>"Why don't we go somewhere else?" Ben asked carefully as Harry's crying had subsided.</p><p>Harry remained holding Ben for just a moment longer, reluctant to let go. Ben moved back a centimeter and Harry finally seemed to draw back into reality. He finally pulled away from Ben, wiping his eyes before looking back at the wax figure they stood under. He stared at it for another long moment, taking in every eerie feature. Then he looked at the other figures in the room. All the other "Villains". This entire section was dedicated to those Auradon deemed evil and dangerous. He looked back at his father. Another tightness clenched his throat.</p><p>"He shouldn't be here, Ben," He whispered, staring at the figure in heartache.</p><p>Ben remained silent. Harry almost despised how quiet he became. He closed his eyes tightly. A dizziness came over him from how tired his body now was.</p><p>"We should... go sit down for a second," Ben suggested, looking over Harry's face. Harry took one last long look at the figure before giving in and nodding. Ben gestured with his head toward the exit of the room.</p><p>Harry didn't want to leave his father. Even if it was just a wax replica of him, it pained him to leave. It was like he was there. After all the days- all the years- Harry hoped to see his father again... And here he was. Presented in front of him in an all too real physical form. He couldn't just leave and go on with his life knowing his own father stood within these walls.</p><p>But this wasn't him. And he knew inside it was only causing more pain to be in the presence of this imposter made of wax and plastic.</p><p>"Come on," Ben said, and he put his hand just above Harry's elbow to lead him toward the exit. Ben's touch sparked that sense of comfort back through Harry's body and suddenly he felt the assurance he needed to begin walking away.</p><p>Leaving the room felt like stepping out of the dream. Everything around him was becoming clearer. His mind was more sober. He looked down at the shattered glass on the floor as they passed it, feeling a sense of guilt over dropping it. He hadn't even realized he had done so until Ben caught him kneeling right over it.</p><p>Harry looked down at his hands. Luckily there was no blood or cuts and his pants didn't seem to have any tearing at the knees. God Evie would be so pissed if she found out he had been kneeling on literal glass shards in the pants she spent weeks making.</p><p>Picturing Evie's horrified expression brought a bit of humor back into his mind.</p><p>The two made it around a corner where a bench sat positioned against the wall. Ben led him to the bench and as Harry sat down, he looked back and forth between him and the hallway they had come from.</p><p>"I'm going to get someone to clean up the glass," Ben assured him, taking a few hesitant steps back. He looked like he was having a difficult time prying his eyes away from Harry. "Just... stay right here. I'll be right back. I promise."</p><p>Ben hesitated another few seconds before turning to head back toward the hallway and out of sight.</p><p>Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. Obviously he heard Ben and wasn't planning on going anywhere. He didn't understand why Ben was acting as if he would run off and do anything other than sit here and gather his strength back. He guessed he didn't mind it though. He could understand the worry Ben was probably feeling at the moment.</p><p>He sighed and covered the rest of his face.</p><p>Now his father was on his mind. He couldn't get the image of his face out of his head. The grimace. It wasn't him, really. That may be what Auradon liked to remember him by, but not Harry. Not anyone that had been close to him.</p><p>Harry sat there, staring at the mental image of him, feeling a numbness in his body. He was still. Just sitting and picturing the memories he held onto.</p><p>He spent several minutes doing so until Ben returned. Ben had let out a small breath of relief, most likely when he saw Harry still sitting there. He had approached the bench carefully and stopped only a few feet away.</p><p>Harry shook his head, staring into the space in front of him.</p><p>"He shouldn't be there," He whispered again.</p><p>Ben looked down at his feet, then moved to sit on the bench merely inches away from Harry.</p><p>"I'm really sorry, Harry," He said, looking as exhausted as Harry was, "I shouldn't have let you go over there. I should've known. I'm sorry I wasn't even thinking."</p><p>"It's okay," Harry said, still keeping his eyes forward, "I mean... It's terrifying. Seeing him like that. Depicted like that..."</p><p>Ben's eyes followed Harry's.</p><p>Harry continued, "I quite often forget how hated he is here." Saying the words "hated" in reference to his father brought back a wave of pain. It disgusted him.</p><p>"I didn't realize you and him were..." Ben paused, "...so close."</p><p>"I assume there's a lot about him that no one here realizes," He muttered, but he quickly felt guilty over the sourness behind the words. He shook his head and said, "He was a good person. He was a good Captain. He..." Harry choked up again, but he managed to suppress it before it took control of him, "He was an amazing dad."</p><p>"I guess... I just assumed..." Ben struggled to finish his sentence, but Harry already knew what he was trying to say.</p><p>"That he didn't care about me?" Harry finished for him, "Like all the other infamous villains at the Isle didn't care about their children?"</p><p>Ben's silence told him he was correct.</p><p>"I had nothing at the Isle. I grew up with <em>nothing</em>. Not even decent food or a safe place to sleep. I had nothing and I didn't even realize it. Because with my dad, it felt like I had everything," Harry's mind slipped back into his younger self's. The image of his father- his real father, not the plastic replica of him- looking at him. Smiling that look of encouragement he missed greatly. He closed his eyes at the memories, "He loved me so much. He was supportive of everything. He would have done anything for me. He..."</p><p>Harry could feel Ben's gaze on him, waiting in apprehension. Almost like he didn't want Harry to continue. Harry looked down, fighting back another wave of tears, and finished his words.</p><p>"He shouldn't have died."</p><p>Ben took in a slow, heavy breath beside him, then Harry felt him move an inch closer to him.</p><p>"I'm sorry," he breathed quietly. Harry understood there wasn't much else Ben could say. He hadn't experienced what Harry did and he probably had no idea how to approach the subject. But Harry had plenty of years of consolidation to move past the ordeal so he didn't necessarily need any wise, enlightening emotional guidance. He really didn't want that. Ben simply sitting next to him was enough. Honestly, he wanted him a bit closer, if anything.</p><p>Harry sighed, wiping at his eye again, "I was too young to be left alone like that. Luckily I had the rest of the crew to raise me. And friends like Uma and Gil... and Jay..." Harry's memories lingered on his teenage years, feeling frail at the question of how he would have survived without his friends surrounding him. He swallowed heavily and continued, "Even with them around though- I know I was incredibly lucky to have them, but still, it was the first time I realized just how little I had. My dad was so good at making me believe I was as privileged as any kid here in Auradon. And then he was gone and... everything was so... different"</p><p>Ben frowned, his forehead creased in unease, and he said, "And it was so sudden too- I- I can't imagine how shocking and traumatic losing a parent so... abruptly like that would be."</p><p>"Sudden?" Harry asked. He squinted his eyes at Ben, feeling his heavy emotion begin to turn into confusion, "What do you mean?"</p><p>"His death. I mean..." Ben was growing confused as well, and he started to sit back up stiffly, "The way he died."</p><p>Harry took several seconds to analyze Ben's face before slowly asking, "...How do you think he died?"</p><p>"Well I-" Ben's eyes darted from one side to the other, in a clear struggle, although Harry was unsure what exactly he was struggling with, "I was told he died in a battle. In a sword fight. That your ship was raided by thieves and he... died at the end of a sword."</p><p>Harry took in the words and let them stir for a few seconds. Then he felt his eyebrows hop up and a heavy breath huff out of him. It was a surprise to hear, but at the same time, it wasn't, really. What had he expected?</p><p>"That's quite sensational, now, isn't it?"</p><p>"What do you mean? That's what my parents told me. That's what the media was saying. It's what <em>everyone</em> was saying," Ben looked back toward the hallway where they had come from, "Even this museum says that," He looked back at Harry, a look of distress on his face, "...Is that not what happened?"</p><p>There was a pain stabbing his chest as Harry heard Ben's words. He didn't want to put himself back into the real moment of his father dying, but if he simply let Ben continue believing this grossly abridged version of what he really went through, it would bother him forever. Harry hadn't spent enough time in Auradon to even know this was the story that was told. He had no idea they shrugged off the full reality and merely seconds after learning, he was beginning to gain an understanding of why the version here was so abridged. He tried pushing back the sudden anger that was rising.</p><p>"As fitting of an ending as that may sound for someone like my dad..." Harry's lip twitched in irritation, "That's not entirely what happened."</p><p>Ben remained quiet as Harry searched for the strength to go on. Harry closed his eyes, released a breath of exhaustion and spoke.</p><p>"There was a fight but he didn't die at the end of any sword. In fact, he actually won that fight. He fought them off as he did any other person that threatened the ship or the crew or me. He was a brilliant swordsman, he just... happened to take one wrong step during that fight and the other man's sword got him on his shoulder." Harry wasn't used to telling anyone this. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time the subject had even come up. It felt wrong to recount it. To just sit here and skim over the event as if all it was was just a story. As if he were merely telling Ben about a time he broke a bone, or got into his first fight. As if it weren't reducing the most unexplainable moment of his life into simple words. It felt almost sinful.</p><p>But Harry was already speaking, and honestly his desire for Ben to know the real story was worth the sin.</p><p>"It wasn't a bad injury, I mean, for someone who lost a hand, it was really nothin'. We thought everything was fine, I mean he poured a shot of whiskey over it and wrapped it up like any other injury and that was that." Harry's eyes were staring downward at the thumbs that were fidgeting among the rest of his fingers, "As I mentioned, my dad was great at making me believe everything was okay. It... really wasn't. It wasn't long before it got too infected to hide. He had gone to see one of the few doctors we had there, but," Again, Harry's lip twitched, "It's not like they actually had the proper resources or even the skills to treat <em>anything</em> much less a goddamn infected wound."</p><p>Harry almost couldn't feel Ben's presence anymore, he had been so still and so quiet that it made it too easy for Harry to slip into the painful state of loneliness of that time. How terrifying it had been. His voice croaked with uneasiness when he began to speak again.</p><p>"The infection spread and I had to watch him go from being the strong, optimistic father that he was, to being bedridden and too sick to even stand up. There was nothing we could do. If the only doctor we had on the Isle couldn't do anything... I felt so hopeless. And I had to sit there beside him every second that he suffered... He-... " Harry wiped his palm over his face, choking back the pit that had returned to his throat, "He lived like that for several days before... he just couldn't fight it anymore."</p><p>Harry turned his head away, struggling against the agonizing reminder of that day. He huffed angrily.</p><p>"So much for the sensational end to Captain James Hook, huh?" The words left his mouth with a sour taste. Like the only way he could keep the sorrow from returning was by transforming it into anger.</p><p>"Harry..." Ben's voice reappeared softly beside him, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know that. I didn't know you had to go through that."</p><p>"Of course you didn't. Because no one here in Auradon cares about the truth. Had anyone known <em>anything</em> true about my father, it would've only made Auradon look bad. And we can't have that now, can we?" Harry spat, "Captain Hook, the loving, caring father? No, because someone like that would be too difficult to justify locking away in an Island of poverty. So they tell you he was an evil, cruel, <em>villain</em> to keep you believing that he deserved to be there."</p><p>The sharpness in Harry's tone made Ben back down. He blinked away before retreating his voice into something much softer and far less challenging, "I... I obviously didn't know him. I just heard he did... bad things. That he hurt people and-"</p><p>"Yes, he hurt people in the past," Harry interrupted him, the candle of anger inside of him burning. It hurt and it was so difficult to hear the words from Ben, even if he knew Ben himself was realizing how untrue they were, "And he did a lot of things that he wasn't proud of. But my entire life, up until he died, he tried to make up for it all. I never knew the person that those stories described. I'm not saying he was a saint. I know he wasn't. You can sit there and believe those stories all you want but... if you want to talk about who's a <em>real</em> villain... he was a ship's captain that found <em>treasure</em>..." Harry frowned, letting the anger rise and fall like breathing, "...while your father imprisoned an entire group of people and anyone associated with them based on what? <em>One</em> person's side of a story?"</p><p>The words seemed to hit Ben in a way that made him unable to speak. It was admittedly a bit more combative than Ben deserved, but Harry's anger was burning and there was only one way to put out that flame. He lowered his voice and continued.</p><p>"<em>My</em> father died because of the awful conditions that <em>your</em> father put us in. Yet your father is revered as a hero by everyone in Auradon. And mine is despised and criticized and used as a story to terrify children. And you wonder why I don't feel any desire to live here? You expect me to sing and dance around in these fancy clothes with the very people that probably <em>celebrated</em> his death... As if <em>nothing</em> happened?"</p><p>Harry could see red spreading around Ben's eyes. There was a wetness rising along his bottom lids. He should've felt guilty for throwing that onto Ben since he was sure Ben knew all of that already, but something inside of him needed to say it. Like if he never did, it would have driven him crazy.</p><p>"I... I don't know what to say, Harry. I'm... I'm sorry. I'm so incredibly sorry. What we did to you it's... it's horrible. I'm just so sorry..." Ben's breathing quickened, "What my father did was unjustified. I'm not going to defend it because I know it hurt so many people. I'm sorry, Harry. I don't know what to say," His hands came to his face and he bent forward, "God, I've been so stupid pressuring you into liking Auradon, I didn't even realize..."</p><p>"Ben," Harry said, bringing a calmer sincerity back into his voice. His heart dropped and as quickly as the anger had risen, it vanished. Ben obviously did not deserve to be on the opposite end of Harry's bitter criticism. He hadn't even been mad at Ben. It wasn't Ben's fault. It just angered him so much that this person beside him, who had been slowly becoming someone special to him, had held such an awful, ignorant depiction of his father. He just wanted him to understand. To realize.</p><p>Harry sighed, "I don't blame you. I hope you don't think I blame you for anything. I'm mad, yes. But not at you. You aren't your father or your mother. In fact you've done more for the Isle than anyone ever even considered doing," Ben still held his hands over his face. Harry shook his head and added, "And I don't blame ya' for being a bit ignorant either. You only know as much as you're told."</p><p>Ben shook his head. His hands covering his face shifting to pinching his forehead in frustration. "I want to make things right," There was a desperation in his voice, "No one should have to go through what you did. If I could just... do something..."</p><p>"Nothing is going to make things right for me," Harry said, "And even if there was something that could be done, it shouldn't be your responsibility to fix it."</p><p>"It <em>is,</em>" Ben frowned, "I'm <em>in charge</em> of these issues."</p><p>"You weren't when it happened," Harry reminded him and he looked back and forth between Ben's eyes, "If anyone should be trying to fix any of this, it's the people that were responsible for it. Not their... twenty year-old son."</p><p>Ben stayed quiet and the tension in his lips said he wasn't totally satisfied with that answer.</p><p>Harry shrugged, "But as I said, it's not like anything is going to change it anyways. It's been years. The damage has pretty much run its course." Ben still looked dissatisfied which was almost pleasant in a way, despite Harry wishing this didn't upset him. Ben's concern was really more than anything Harry expected out of Auradon when it came to atonement. And seeing him actually caring...</p><p>"Well, if it helps your conscience," Harry gave a short, comforting grin, "You <em>are</em> making things a bit better, anyways."</p><p>Ben huffed, looking down, as if he were dissatisfied with <em>that</em> as well. He said, "I mean, I haven't actually been doing a very good job fixing things for the Isle. The programs and everything, yeah they're moving along, but-"</p><p>"I... actually just meant with your company," Harry said, feeling a heaviness in his chest. His grin came out with a hint of embarrassment.</p><p>Ben's mouth remained held open, as if he had intended to continue speaking, but he just sat there, watching Harry. Harry could see his chest moving up and down and he could see the residual redness in his eyes. His round, brown eyes that were now locked with his in a way that brought so many questions back into Harry's mind. Harry was almost certain Ben was never going to speak again, but something seemed to snap in his expression. He blinked and his lips battled a smile.</p><p>"Oh..." He said, his gaze fluttering off to the side. "Um..."</p><p>Poor guy was struggling to come up with a response. Harry was going to have to jump back in and save him before his lack of words became too painful of a silence. Harry made a motion to speak, but then he quickly realized that he himself didn't know what to say either. What <em>do</em> you say after something like that? Maybe it was a bit too sincere? It was true, though. The feeling of being in Ben's company was probably the most engaging thing to happen to him in a while. And it was certainly the only thing that pulled him out of that spiraling emotion. He wanted to at least tell him that, and however he wanted to interpret it, well, that was up to him.</p><p>He didn't actually realize that maybe the sentiment revealed a bit too much of what Harry was feeling internally.</p><p>"Well..." Ben thankfully said, "I guess that's pretty reassuring to hear. I mean, after all of my accusations and poorly worded jokes, I was a bit worried you were getting sick of me."</p><p>"Sick of the King?" Harry grinned, "Now that would be treason."</p><p>Ben laughed and looked down at his hands.</p><p>"You know, I've never met someone that can constantly bring up the fact that I'm the King, while simultaneously making me always forget that I'm the King as much as you."</p><p>And then, it was Harry's turn to fall short of words. He wasn't sure exactly what Ben meant by that, but there was something in the manner in which he said it that was enough to give off a pleasant sentimentality. Almost like, no matter what Ben had said, the takeaway would have been 'I've never met someone like you'. Even though that's not what he said. It's what it felt like. And it caused Harry to feel a bit lighter inside.</p><p>"It's my royal duty to keep His Majesty humble," Harry said, then bowed his head with a teasing respect.</p><p>Ben laughed, rolled his eyes, then looked back down at his hands. Harry followed Ben's gaze down to his hands and it was like his eyes were pulled onto the watch on his wrist. Gosh, how much time had passed since they had left the ball?</p><p>Harry cleared his throat.</p><p>"Well, I apologize for the... emotional detour," Harry looked off to the side with slight shame in his gaze, "Perhaps, we should be getting back to the ball before your parents send out a search party?"</p><p>"Shit, yeah," Ben turned his wrist to look at his watch as well, then he rubbed the side of his head in sudden realization. He stood up from the bench then looked back at Harry, "Also... don't apologize for any of that. I'm really glad you told me. I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to open up to me about it."</p><p>"Aye," Harry stood up as well, embarrassment as well as dizziness washing over him, "Don't get sappy about it, I'm intoxicated. There's nothin' more to it." Harry knew that wasn't true.</p><p>"Right," Ben said with a small smile which indicated he most likely also knew it wasn't true. Ben turned to begin walking toward the nearest exit. Harry quickly followed after him.</p><p>"And if ya' tell a soul, I <em>will</em> actually curse you."</p><p>"Well, in all honesty, you have like... a <em>tower</em> of leverage against me. So I wouldn't dare dream of it," Ben admitted.</p><p>"Huh," Harry considered, "You make an excellent point."</p><p>Once they reached the exit door, Ben pushed it open and held it for Harry. Harry noticed Ben drop him a quick smile as he passed him and slipped outside. Harry felt his own lips forming into a smile as the door closed behind them and they left to make their way through the growing night and back toward the ballroom.<br/><br/><br/><br/></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em> <span class="u">~2~</span> </em> </b>
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</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Okay, I'm sorry if this is a sensitive subject- and you don't have to answer if it is- but... what about Peter Pan?"</p><p>Ben walked beside Harry with his hands hidden in the pockets of his pants and the rest of his body slouched in an unassuming manner. He asked the question innocently, and Harry found the care in his approach to the question to be as endearing as it was every other time Ben struggled to not come off as offensive.</p><p>"What <em>about</em> Pan?" Harry shoved his chilly hands into his pockets to match Ben. He wanted to appear neutral and casual about the subject, but inside he was itching to get on with his ranting.</p><p>"Well..." Ben swayed as he walked and pondered, "I guess I'm just curious as to why your dad hated him so much. <em>I've</em> never met Peter Pan, but my dad has. And from what he's said about him, he sounds like a decent guy."</p><p>"Of course he <em>sounded</em> like a decent guy. And I'm sure he was. I mean, when you're trying to be on the right side of history all you have to do is <em>sound</em> like a decent guy," Harry rolled his eyes, feeling the light annoyance starting to bubble inside him already, "Pan is a master of manipulation, so I can imagine he was quite good at that."</p><p>"So... he was a bad person, then?" A puzzle began to grow on Ben's face and Harry simply laughed.</p><p>"He's a man that's God-knows how old stuck in the body of a child. A lot of people shrug off some of his behavior because he's a child, but this guy has well over a hundred years of existing. So with that in mind, don't you think the stories of Wendy and Tiger Lily and whoever else become a bit fucked up? And he kidnaps kids. He literally goes to children in their own rooms at night and manipulates them into going to a place where they slowly forget everything about their previous life. Just so he's not alone. He cut my father's hand off and laughed as he fed it to a crocodile in the name of a prank. Not to mention he's incredibly insensitive to the other cultures that live there. And all of this is based on the stories that are supposed to make him sound <em>good</em>. I could go on, but if that alone isn't enough to tell ya' how genuinely terrible that guy is, I don't know what is."</p><p>"Oh..." Ben said, a look of disgust twisting his face as he held his gaze fixated far off in front of him.</p><p>"He was a complete nuisance in Neverland," Harry went on, shaking his head, "And my father should not have spent so much of his life trying to get his revenge on Pan because ultimately that's what made it easier for Pan to convince everyone he was the villain... But I'm just sayin', if I had to share the same space as someone like Peter Pan, I'd probably want to kill him too."</p><p>"Shit, no kidding," Ben muttered, his eyes finally breaking away from the trance he was in. Harry had to laugh at the sudden horrified look on Ben's face. "I only ever heard stories of him when I was really young. I mean, like any other kid, it sounded like a wonderful place."</p><p>"Aww, did Little Benjamin always dream of getting to go to Neverland?"</p><p>"Psh," Ben rolled his eyes, "Yeah, visiting Neverland and getting to fight pirates was always at the top of my bucket list."</p><p>Harry laughed, "Hey, at least <em>one</em> of those came true."</p><p>"Hm, I guess," Ben shrugged with a grin, "But you know, fighting pirates really isn't as fun as I thought it would be. It's actually kind of overrated, if I'm being honest."</p><p>"Overrated?" Harry huffed, "I think you meant to say <em>it's a privilege</em>."</p><p>"Okay, sure. If that consoles your ego."</p><p>"Hey at least I can admit fighting the King himself is an exciting endeavor."</p><p>"Now <em>that's</em> a privilege."</p><p>Harry's laugh came out louder than he intended. He shook his head, staring at Ben with a grin wide in amusement. The tugging in his chest evolved to a grasping onto his heart. It felt tight and constricted, but it was still beating. In fact, it was beating harder. He became stuck admiring the playful look on Ben's face beside him. Seeing the boyishness in his eyes magnetized Harry in a way that he had never experienced before and as he remained there, walking next to him and feeling that pull at every centimeter of Ben's smile, he started to understand.</p><p>Harry had been so used to a hardened temperament his entire life. Everyone he was with, even the friends that surrounded him, were hardened people. They <em>had</em> to be, growing up on the Isle. They didn't have the liberty of innocence and most of them lived off of villainous tendencies. It was fun and exciting. Freeing, almost, to be with someone willing to get into as much trouble as Harry was. It was natural. But it had also become redundant.</p><p>Ben was the complete opposite of anyone Harry had ever been with. He brought forth a youthful charisma Harry had never come across. Naivety. Innocence. It was alluring. Every time Ben smiled at his own joke, every pure laugh, every naive attempt at rightness pulled Harry closer.</p><p>Ben presented something new to Harry. Something so pleasantly genuine to bring out a more tender side of him he hadn't had the opportunity to explore. He never realized just how much he could enjoy stepping away from the hardened front he had to put on throughout his entire life. Ever since his father died. It was almost like this part of him had been sitting dormant, waiting for someone like Ben to come around and pry it back out of him.</p><p>He was understanding it now. He was <em>accepting</em> it now.</p><p>The tugging in his chest.</p><p>It only made sense that because Ben was so different from anyone in Harry's romantic past, so were the feelings he held for him. As different as Ben was, was as different as Harry's feelings were. He didn't recognize it at first because how would he have known? How was he supposed to recognize something he didn't know existed?</p><p>How was he supposed to know there was a feeling that existed beyond what he felt for any of his partners before?</p><p>Harry swallowed dryly and he pulled his eyes away from Ben.</p><p>Was he finally admitting it to himself? That there were feelings there?</p><p>If there <em>were</em> feelings there, and if he <em>did</em> admit it to himself... then what the hell was he supposed to do after that?</p><p>"But anyway," Ben brushed some of his hair to the side, glancing away with a look of abashment, "I guess I feel kind of guilty about admiring the idea of Neverland now. Even if I was a kid- it's just a bit unsettling to think about ever wanting to go there."</p><p>"I-..." Harry struggled to remember what exactly they had been saying before. Neverland. Peter Pan... Oh right. "I mean, Peter Pan may not be a great guy, but Neverland is still wonderful. At least from all I've heard about it."</p><p>"Oh." Ben dipped his head in consideration, then he looked back at Harry with eager curiosity sparkling in his eyes, "Did your dad tell you a lot of stories about being there?"</p><p>There it was. It was <em>that</em>. That genuine interest. That opportunity that Ben gave Harry to reminisce in moments of innocent happiness.. to open up. He didn't get that a lot. Ben's presence was almost a magnet that pulled it out of him. And he did it so easily too.</p><p>Harry's lips grew tight at his inability to keep himself from smiling at the sudden memories.</p><p>"Yes. A lot, actually."</p><p>Harry slipped back into his younger self. He could see the waves in front of him. He could feel the security of his dad's presence. There was security in the space they sat in. It was early in the morning and for all Harry knew, there wasn't another soul on the Isle, other than him and his father, that was awake. He breathed in deeply.</p><p>"There's this small area in the Isle that no one can really get to. Easily, at least. You need a boat, and so really the only ones that knew about that spot were my dad and a few others of us on the crew. It was exciting as a child because it was almost like our own secret hideout in a way. Anyways, my dad and I would go there and he would tell me all kinds of stories of Neverland."</p><p>"That sounds really nice, Harry," Ben said in a softer voice.</p><p>Harry shrugged, giving a chuckle to pull himself out of the memory and back beside Ben, "About as nice as it can get on the Isle of the Lost."</p><p>He could see Ben wince slightly, which only made Harry want to chuckle again. But he didn't and instead realized that maybe pressing the idea of how terrible the Isle was to Ben was only going to press Ben's deep inner guilt about the situation.</p><p>Harry sighed and he was going to say something else if it weren't for their quick approach to the ballroom up ahead. He could hear the music coming from the well-lit portion of the castle. The two of them moved on toward the building, strolling through the courtyard in which they had passed on their way to the museum.</p><p>Harry couldn't deny the fact that there was a stirring disappointment in his stomach. As dreadfully serious of a turn as their tour had ended on, Harry still found a small aching in it being over. He really didn't want to go back to the ball. If he had the choice, he'd choose Ben's company. Even if they did nothing. Even if they kept walking aimlessly the rest of the night. He would have preferred it. Being at the ball felt dishonest.</p><p>Being with Ben felt right.</p><p>Ben must have felt the hesitancy on Harry because he slowed down his walk to a gradual, lingering stop and frowned.</p><p>"Hey," He said, his voice growing more serious, "Look, if you don't want to go back to the ball... I understand. I can call someone to drive you back to the Isle, or you can stay in one of the guest rooms if you want. It's the least I could do after forcing you to be here-"</p><p>Harry offered him a reassuring smile, "Ben, it's okay."</p><p>"Are you sure?" Ben's eyes grew softer and more sincere and they searched over Harry's. Harry moved from smiling in reassurance to chuckling in reassurance.</p><p>"Yes, I think I can survive one night of playin' Prince Harry."</p><p>Ben sighed then looked back at the castle they stood in front of. He remained where he was though, almost as if he himself was not ready to go back either. Was he stalling?</p><p>"Okay. I just feel really guilty. I really didn't mean to-"</p><p>"Ben it's <em>okay</em>. Jeez. Don't make me regret tellin' ya any of me tragic past," Harry said, but Ben still looked unsure so he took it upon himself to carry on toward the ballroom to force Ben to follow. He added, "I'm fine, trust me. The worst of it will be tryin' desperately to avoid Evie or Uma naggin' me to dance with them."</p><p>Ben laughed a breathy laugh, shook his head and said, "Okay, if you insist. I'll make sure no one forces you to dance." Then he caught a skeptical glance from Ben, "...Even though dancing is like... a <em>significant</em> portion of the ball."</p><p>"Oh no," Harry groaned, "Don't tell me you're gonna start naggin' me about it too."</p><p>"I'm just saying... you might have more fun if you actually <em>participate</em> in the fun."</p><p>"You <em>are</em> gonna nag me," Harry shook his head in disappointment, but internally he was a bit abashed. "I'm sorry that I can't be as exquisite of a dancer as you."</p><p>"You can't? I could have sworn you said you could dance."</p><p>"I said pirate dances. I very clearly stated I didn't know a thing about ballroom dancin'."</p><p>"It's not that complicated."</p><p>"It looked pretty complicated to me."</p><p>Ben frowned, "If you're talking about my dance with Mal, that was a rehearsed and fully choreographed dance. Ballroom dancing has very basic steps to it. I'm sure you'd get the hang of it pretty quickly."</p><p>Harry grunted in uncertainty. They had only been steps from the castle doors when Ben stopped again. Harry looked back at him and was met with an analyzing stare. Ben held his considering eyes on him and it looked as if he were having an argument with himself internally. Then his eyebrows twitched with a subtle liveliness and he tilted his head an inch to the side.</p><p>"I can show you if you'd like?"</p><p>Harry felt his body grow stiff. A tingling sensation scratched along the surface of his skin. He stared back at Ben with a hesitancy that was twice- maybe three times- greater than when he had offered to show him around the castle. That was friendly. Offering to show Harry around could simply have been Ben being an overly eager-to-please host. But this. Offering to show Harry how to <em>dance</em>. Ben... What exactly <em>was</em> this?</p><p>Harry's heart was grasped by an invisible force again. He held his breath, but his face fell into an awkwardly baffled expression.</p><p>"Uh-... I don't..." God, Harry couldn't even respond. He glanced toward the castle doors, then back at Ben. He <em>did</em> say he didn't want his alone time with Ben to end. But...</p><p>Ben's lips spread out into an eager smile and he gestured off to somewhere else with his head. "Come on!"</p><p>Before Harry could object- or really even consider objecting- Ben grabbed his arm and pulled him off in another direction. He pulled him away from the front of the castle and to an area around the side that was far more secluded but still within range of the music from the ballroom.</p><p>The area was privatized by tall, flourishing bushes, adorned with blue and purple flowers. The flowers were as intentionally selected as the flowers that decorated the ballroom and just about any other place in the palace. With the dullness of the night, the blues and purples were a bit more difficult to see and they were shown only from the small strings of lights that hung around the pathway they were on.</p><p>Ben pulled him into this secluded area and stopped closer to another wall of flowers. This wall was lit up brighter than the rest of the garden around them, and to break the monotony of the palette of purple and blue, was a bush of red roses, which stood out much more vibrantly among the dark, muted surroundings.</p><p>Ben stopped, then twisted back to Harry. Harry was staring at him with astonishment, unable to truly process what exactly Ben had in mind. He stared with his mouth parted open and a brightness in his eyes because while he wasn't exactly enthusiastic about dancing, he was definitely swarmed with an infatuation of being pulled off so eagerly- so insistently- by Ben.</p><p>"Okay," Ben said, giving no time to allow Harry to fully register the moment, "I'll show you the waltz. It's the simplest ballroom dance."</p><p>There was an excitement in Ben's voice that was even more paralyzing to Harry. It had him caught in a dumbfounded daze and for a moment Harry wondered if the drinks in his system had come back and hit him with another, hard wave of intoxication. The world around him swirled in a sudden euphoria. He was stuck following Ben's lips. His eyes. His eager expression. His hands reaching up to Harry's torso.</p><p>"So you're going to take your partner's hand and hold it out like this," Ben took Harry's left hand, his smooth fingers folding over his palm, his thumb wrapping around his. Harry was surprised by the warmth that radiated from his hand. The skin on his palm felt like velvet brushing against his.</p><p>Ben held his hand over Harry's, holding it outward as his other hand came for Harry's right. "And your right hand goes around her torso." He picked up Harry's hand and guided it around him, to where it rested under Ben's arm and along his shoulder blade. "Yeah, like that." Then, Ben's own hand now moved up to the top of Harry's arm and rested just at the edge of his shoulder.</p><p>Ben acted so casual about this. Harry was flipping out. His heart was thumping in his chest as his body felt robbed of its oxygen. Never in his life had putting his hands on someone felt this strenuous- felt this provocative. It felt almost <em>dangerous</em>.</p><p>It probably was.</p><p>Ben looked back into Harry's eyes. He was laughing. Harry was still dumbfounded. But he was so overcome with this bashfulness, his own face twisted into a laugh as well. It was more of a laugh of disbelief, but Ben wasn't going to see it as anything different than a simple, engaging laugh.</p><p>"Okay, so now imagine a square drawn on the ground. The waltz basically follows that shape. It's very simple."</p><p>Harry's body was completely rigid from the mere inches he stood from Ben and he was certain Ben was going to feel the heat of his embarrassment pulsing off of him.</p><p>"The men lead the dance, so you're going to start by stepping forward with your left foot."</p><p>Harry blinked briskly, realizing he hadn't said a word up until this point. In fact, he couldn't remember even agreeing to any of this. But he was already too trapped into the lesson to back out now. He only looked down and let out another breath of baffled disbelief, before he shook his head and played along.</p><p>He took a step forward with his left foot and Ben followed with a step back with his right.</p><p>"And you trace the square shape with your second step. So with your other foot you're going to step out to the side." Ben beckoned him to make the next step. "Bring it forward," he said and Harry brought his right foot forward, Ben's left foot moving back. "And drag it out." This time, Ben guided his foot out to a side-step and Harry followed.</p><p>"And now bring your left foot back beside this one."</p><p>Harry did and the two were now standing with their feet together.</p><p>"Now shift your weight and you're going to do the exact same thing, but stepping back with your right foot now."</p><p>The description sounded overwhelming, but Ben guided Harry's right foot to step back and then his left to follow the square shape and stepping out to the side. He completed the step by bringing his feet together again and the two were in the same exact position they had started in.</p><p>"And that's it," Ben smiled, "That's literally the box waltz. Now we just add a count and put a rhythm to it."</p><p>Harry was praying his hand wouldn't start sweating from how nervous he had become. His heartbeat was only increasing.</p><p>"One, two, three," Ben counted a rhythm, "One, two three."</p><p>"Okay," was all Harry could say before he sucked in a breath and attempted to re-trace the steps to the rhythm.</p><p>"One," Ben said. Harry stepped forward with his left foot.</p><p>"Two." Harry stepped out to the side with his right.</p><p>"Three." He brought his feet back together.</p><p>"One." Harry stepped back with his right. He looked into Ben's eyes.</p><p>"Two." Harry guided Ben's step out to the side. Pressing his body lightly with his hands.</p><p>"Three." They were back at the start. Ben's hand shifted in Harry's. The hand on his shoulder became more assured.</p><p>One. Two. Three. Harry found the rhythm. He re-traced the steps again and again, glancing down at his feet to make sure they were moving correctly. One. Two. Three.</p><p>"Perfect," Ben smiled, "And now you can add changes in direction when you step outward."</p><p>One. Harry stepped forward. Two. Ben guided Harry's body to turn, rather than stepping directly to the side. Three. They were back together, facing a different direction. They moved again, this time, Harry took the lead and turned Ben's body on the second step.</p><p>It took some concentration to make sure Harry was stepping with the correct foot, but it wasn't long before the motions became natural. He was leading the steps perfectly and Ben was following perfectly. And before he knew it, he was no longer internally counting numbers, but rather counting the rhythm in the faint music that came from the ballroom. And before he knew it, he was no longer learning. He was <em>dancing</em>. Actually dancing.</p><p>Dancing with <em>Ben</em>.</p><p>His breath was weak and short. He watched Ben's expression closely, searching every centimeter of his face for some indication. A sign. Of <em>anything</em>. Was this just helpful, friendly coaching? Or was there something more to this? Come on Ben, please.</p><p>
  <em>'Tell me something.'</em>
</p><p>One. Two. Three.</p><p>Ben chuckled, "See? This isn't terrible now, is it?"</p><p>No, Ben. It isn't. It really isn't.</p><p>Harry's lips twitched upward into a grin. Every second he stared into his eyes and every second he saw the delight in his smile, was another tug of longing to pull Ben closer. His arms ached from how badly they wanted to wrap around his waist. His hands ached from how badly they wanted to hold his gorgeous face.</p><p>His lips ached.</p><p>"And once you have the whole changing-directions part down, you can start adding in spins." Ben lifted up Harry's hand and spun his body in one full twist underneath it before gracefully sliding back into proper stance. He laughed at his own ridiculous motion, which made Harry break out into a laughter as well.</p><p>God that was adorable.</p><p>"You're sayin' I can just spin ya' around whenever I feel like it?" Harry asked, making sure not to break the rhythm of the steps they had carried on taking.</p><p>"As the man who is leading the dance, yes," Ben chuckled, "But don't overdo it. Spins are there to add just a bit of extra flavor to the dance. Spinning your dance partner too often can make it exhausting."</p><p>"Huh." Harry cracked a grin before lifting his hand above Ben's head. Ben laughed, rolled his eyes, and played into Harry's lead by dutifully spinning again. Harry watched Ben in admiration. The sensation of letting go of the worry of looking foolish felt so good. It felt so right with Ben. Maybe this would look foolish to anyone that was watching- and maybe even to Harry had he been watching from the outside- but it didn't matter at all. How they looked didn't matter, because how he felt was perfect.</p><p>Harry raised an eyebrow and said, "I quite liked that last move you did for your dance at the ball. Perhaps you can demonstrate that one too?"</p><p>Ben scoffed another laugh, "You are <em>not</em> going to lift me, Harry. Besides, that's a bit more  of an advanced move."</p><p>Harry scowled in disappointment, "Oh come on, I think it would be quite beneficial to learn."</p><p>"We can skip the lift for now, but I can show you the spin."</p><p>"Fine," Harry sighed with exaggeration. Ben was chuckling at Harry's fake disappointment before he returned his attention back to their movements. <br/>"Okay. So you're going to guide me into a normal spin. But instead of putting your other hand back around me, you're going to take my other hand and let my momentum carry me outward," he instructed, and Harry attempted to follow. He lifted his arm the same way he had before. Ben turned under it, but instead of spinning back into the same posture, Harry reached for Ben's other hand. Ben's other hand connected with his and he let himself spin outward until their arms were stretched out between them.</p><p>"And you give just a slight pull to bring me back in."</p><p>Harry pulled Ben back toward him and just as Ben did in his dance with Mal, Ben spun back into Harry. Harry held onto his hand as he twisted into him, his arm curling around Ben's body until Ben was wrapped into Harry's arms. Against his chest. His nose merely inches away from Harry's. Ben's eyes connected with Harry's.</p><p>He was smiling still from the overall humor within their moves. They both were. But now Ben was so close to him. He was in his arms. Harry's hands were holding onto him. Just as they had longed to before. Harry's smile slowly, gradually started slipping away.</p><p>As was Ben's.</p><p>Harry could smell the whiskey that remained on Ben's breath and that alone was enough to spark a drunken euphoria. His heart was pounding in his chest. He was certain Ben could feel it. He was certain Ben could feel his unsteady breathing. He was certain he could feel the desperate longing emanating from Harry because it was so strong and so powerful.</p><p>
  <em>'Please, Ben... I need something from you. Any kind of sign. Just tell me.'</em>
</p><p>But Ben was just staring into Harry's eyes. Almost blankly. Almost troubled. Half of his smile was still on his face. The other half had slipped away already.</p><p><em>'Anything,'</em> Harry was pleading internally now.</p><p>And then, Ben's eyes fell away from Harry's. They fell downward.</p><p>They fell onto his lips.</p><p>A surge of energy instantly pulsed up through Harry. Like lightning it traveled through him, up his spine, through his heart, then along his arms and to his fingers. It could have traveled out the tips of his fingers and into Ben's body. Harry felt his fingers stretch out, his hand stretching out to fully feel where it rested on Ben's back. They gathered the incentive to move, to work their way up to his neck, to pull him even closer. But before they could even attempt to, a powerful chime broke the air around them.</p><p>Harry jumped at the jolt of the sound and Ben quickly pulled away. He huffed and placed his hand on his chest to regather himself once he quickly recognized it as the bell chime marking the hour. Ben stepped back, his eyes to the ground.</p><p>"Shit," Ben laughed. Then he looked humorously back into Harry's eyes to share the amusement of their startle. Harry wanted to laugh too, he really did, but he could only manage a hesitant grin. Ben shook his head, then checked his watch. The eyes that had been full of humor, morphed into a disturbance.</p><p>"<em>Shit</em>," he repeated with greater emphasis. Then he looked back toward the castle. Then back to Harry.</p><p>"We should get back," Harry said for him blankly. Ben swallowed awkwardly and held his gaze on him. Harry searched Ben for any sort of acknowledgment of the moment. Anything that could assure him that Ben, too, experienced the same feelings Harry had. That he, too, longed for something more. The spark was undeniable to Harry. Was it undeniable to Ben? Harry searched desperately over his face, he tried to search in his eyes, but Ben was no longer looking at him. He was looking away. He was troubled. Perhaps disappointed?</p><p>"Yeah. Sorry," Ben said, then he lifted his face again. He looked embarrassed. "Let's get back before they kill me."</p><p>Harry did not find what he was searching for. There really wasn't anything on Ben's face that said he had experienced the same sensations as Harry. How could he not have, though? How could that energy that convulsed between them have just passed through Ben entirely? Without any awareness on his part? It would be astonishing if that were true. It was frustrating. But then again, Ben <em>was</em> pretty experienced in masquerading his emotions.</p><p>He was even better at ignoring them.</p><p>Harry's stare was drilling into Ben as he began to turn away. His stomach was almost sick. He didn't want to go anywhere. His feet stubbornly argued to remain planted, to persuade Ben to stay there with him. To continue dancing. To continue... whatever the two of them were about to do. Even if it were nothing.</p><p>But being stubborn about it wasn't going to help anything. Harry sighed internally and began walking with Ben back to the ballroom.</p><p>He was silent. They both were. The entire walk.</p><p>This was painful.</p><p>Although the awkward silence was a bit reassuring to Harry- since that meant Ben at least <em>had</em> something to be awkwardly silent about- he didn't like it. They made it back past the courtyard and halfway to the ballroom when Harry cleared his throat, desperate to try and bring back the lighthearted air from before.</p><p>He decided to say, "Thank you for the dance lesson, Ben." But that still came out too serious so he added, "I expect you to give me a discount for it though, since technically you coerced me into it."</p><p>A breath of laughter came from Ben, which was more relieving to hear. He shrugged and said, "The first lesson is on the house. I only ask that you at least <em>try</em> to put what you learned to good use tonight." Little did Ben know that Harry already had put the lesson to as good of a use as he cared about tonight. Unless, of course, Ben was planning on dancing with him again. Although that was highly unlikely.</p><p>Harry cracked a mischievous grin, "I'll get a few more drinks in me and then we'll see."</p><p>They approached the open doors to the ballroom, the music growing louder and louder the closer they got. Ben smirked nervously.</p><p>"Ah, so you're still planning to drink the entire champagne table, then?"</p><p>"Obviously. I said I could get through one night of playing Prince Harry. I didn't say I could do it <em>sober</em>," Harry offered him a smile and Ben chuckled in response. "Besides, what else am I going to spend all of Chad's allowance on, if not the entire bar's liquor supply?"</p><p>Ben was holding back his own grin as he and Harry walked through the ballroom doors to be greeted by the golden lights, loud music, and chatter of people dancing and lingering about. All seemed to be exactly as the two had left it.</p><p>"Oh yeah," Ben said, scratching his head, "I hate to be a joy kill, but you're going to have to give Chad his wallet back."</p><p>Harry winced, "Could I instead turn it into the lost and found and humbly accept a monetary reward for meself for 'finding' it?"</p><p>"...no. I don't know if you're aware of this Harry but stealing is actually a crime. And I have a moral and an... occupational obligation to enforce the law."</p><p>"Well I didn't see ya' stoppin' me when I paid for these beverages. So, you technically are guilty by association and therefore, if you imprison me, then you need to imprison yerself as well."</p><p>Ben laughed again, his chuckling rolling adorably and his eyes squinted with guilty amusement from Harry. This was nice. This banter. It was so nice. Harry's heart was tugging uncontrollably. It was almost painful to return back to what felt like monotonous reality, rather than remain in this dream state where he could continue exploring this new, unfamiliar affection. He didn't know if he would be able to now that they were back. He didn't know if Ben even wanted to. He didn't know where Ben stood. He had no idea what was going through his head.</p><p>He was blocked by the complex wall Ben had built around himself. He didn't know when- or if- he would get past that wall, but he knew one thing for sure; there <em>wasn't</em> a wall around Harry. He did not have a wall and he would not put up a wall because he was sick of this uncomfortable disconnect between himself and his own emotions. It was time to get back in touch with them. To manage them. To be honest about them.</p><p>And that meant fully accepting the fact that he <em>did</em> like Ben.</p><p>He <em>really</em> liked Ben.</p><p>The exact feelings may be foreign, but he knew whatever they were, they were felt for Ben. And they were stronger than he had originally thought or expected.</p><p>He watched Ben's humored face. The corner of his lip lifted as if he were about to say something witty back, but the chance was instantly ripped from him.</p><p>"Ben!" hissed a harsh, rather angry voice several paces away.</p><p>The two of them turned immediately and Harry felt a nervous sinking in his chest when his eyes landed on Ben's father, flanked by his mother, hastily approaching them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Little Red Flags</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ben's heart pounded at the sound of his father's voice. His body grew hot with dread.</p>
<p>"I'm... gonna go get started on those drinks now," Harry muttered beside Ben.</p>
<p>"...Yeah," Ben whispered back, unable to pull his eyes away from his fast approaching parents. As much as he didn't want to end their tour this abruptly and as much as he didn't want to stop talking to Harry, he <em>did</em> want him to be as far away as possible as his parents said whatever it is they were about to say.</p>
<p>"Good luck," Harry added before he dipped away just in time to escape the wrath of Ben's father. Pieces of his elation became crushed with dread with every step Harry took away from him to disappear off into the crowd around them.</p>
<p>His father's face was twisted with the same anger he had left it in after his speech. His mother, following behind held more of a concerned look. His dad watched Harry leaving Ben's side before reaching him and turning his eyes back to Ben.</p>
<p>"Where have you <em>been</em>?" He hissed. He spoke in a harsh whisper, mindful to not draw negative attention around them. Ben noticed his mother's eyes linger in the direction Harry had slipped off to.</p>
<p>Ben's heart continued to pound. He had expected his father's anger to catch up to him, but he wasn't expecting it to be this immediate. He really, really did not want to face it right now.</p>
<p>"I-..." He glanced off to where Harry disappeared, then back to his father, "I stepped out for a bit. Just to show a friend around. He's never really been here-"</p>
<p>"We've been looking everywhere for you. We've called you several times."</p>
<p>Fuck. Ben hadn't checked his phone <em>once</em> in the time he was gone. He didn't want to even glance at it now.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry," Ben glanced at his mother with guilt in his voice. His mother pulled her stare off of where Harry left and back onto her son. Her lips were pursed with a silent concern. Ben said, "I didn't realize the time... I just completely lost track of-"</p>
<p>"You can't be leaving your own ball like that when there are guests here that expect your presence," Adam's frown grew harsher, "And you certainly cannot just disappear after making a speech like that." His finger was thrown toward the Royal Table as if to remind Ben. Ben's stomach began growing sick.</p>
<p>"Can we not talk about this right now?" He begged, "Please."</p>
<p>"Do you not realize the complications that you just created for the council by making an announcement like that?" Adam asked sternly, "And then to just vanish as if that frees you of any consequence?"</p>
<p>"I didn't <em>vanish.</em> I was just-"</p>
<p>"You need to seriously start thinking about how to fix this mess. Opening up job opportunities for teaching trial classes? Seriously? We considered that <em>one time</em>, the council never agreed to it."</p>
<p>Adam was stopped by his wife stepping forward and placing a hand on his arm. Belle looked back at Ben before saying, "We can save this for later. We don't need our guests seeing us argue like this. Let's just enjoy the rest of this ball tonight."</p>
<p>The muscles in Adam's face tensed, and his scolding stare remained on Ben, but his wife's insistence seemed to have persuaded him. He released a breath to calm himself, then, as if all of that wasn't enough he warned, "You can expect we <em>will</em> be talking about this later."</p>
<p>Ben glanced at a group of guests walking by. The embarrassment he was feeling inside was drilling a hole in his stomach, even though no one really seemed to be noticing his childish scolding. It was still humiliating. And worse, he was entirely guilty too. Even as a King, few things put him more on edge than his father's anger and disappointment in something he already <em>knew</em> he did wrong.</p>
<p><em>'And you can expect I will be looking forward to it,'</em> Ben thought with sarcastic dread. There wasn't a bargain strong enough on this planet that would make him say that out loud, though. He simply stayed quiet and watched as his father held his angry stare on him for several more seconds before his mother finally managed to pull him away.</p>
<p>Ben exchanged a glance with Belle before she and Adam had turned around. It wasn't exactly an apologetic glance. He couldn't really tell <em>what</em> it was. Despite whatever she was feeling or thinking, he was still thankful for her moderating the situation. He didn't think his father would dare make a scene in front of so many guests, but pressing the issue right here, right now, in <em>any</em> fashion was too much for Ben to handle. So, he was thankful his mother had the impulse- and the ability- to dissolve it.</p>
<p>Even as they walked away, though, the dread still remained.</p>
<p>"Ben!" Another voice called from behind him.</p>
<p><em>Uuuuggghhhh</em>. He couldn't get a second of a break could he? Well, what did he expect after being gone for a whole hour? At least this voice- Mal's voice- was not filled with the same anger as his father's, although his entire body was still wincing as he turned around to face her.</p>
<p>He was met with his fiancee's curious eyes, accompanied by Jay beside her who's eyes were unsettlingly... less curious. From Ben's brief glance at them, he picked up on more irritation than curiosity. He had left Mal in the companionship of Jay before leaving the ballroom with Harry. He guessed, with a sliver of guilt, that Jay had courteously remained his fiancee's ballroom partner throughout Ben's entire absence.</p>
<p>"Hey," Ben managed, maintaining a casual energy to his smile.</p>
<p>Mal's questioning look was offsetting with her attempt to smile too, "Um... where have you been? We couldn't find you anywhere."</p>
<p>This was a question that Ben hadn't even gotten the opportunity to dread, much less <em>consider</em>. Where <em>had</em> he been? This whole night- and really the past few weeks- he had to mask his affiliation with Harry. Now he had just slipped off for an hour with him and denying such a thing would be incriminating since, if they were to ask Harry the same question they would probably get a completely different answer. They hadn't exactly taken the time to discuss what they were going to tell the others when they got back. If they hadn't lost track of time and they had been gone only ten or fifteen minutes, this wouldn't be a problem. It may not have even been a problem now, if it weren't for Jay's prior skepticism about Ben's affiliation with Harry. If he were to admit he had been out with Harry, that would practically confirm it.</p>
<p>But then again, just because Ben was with Harry for the past hour didn't mean he was with Harry when he snuck off to the Isle almost a month ago? Even if it confirmed Jay's skepticism, the truth about where Ben just went off to still couldn't undeniably prove that he had lied before. Yes he was with Harry just now, but who's to say this wasn't the first time they had ever hung out? Perhaps the truth was safer than a lie. If he made it seem as innocent as it was.</p>
<p>"Oh..." Ben's shoulders hopped nonchalantly, forcing back the temptation of checking over Jay's expression again since doing so would practically damn him, "I was um just talking to Harry." And as expected, he sensed Jay's attention perk. Out of the corner of his gaze, he could see his eyebrow raising. He could feel the intensity in the slight tilt of his head. But Ben refused to look at him. He refused to reveal even a hint of any kind of guilt. Pure confidence and indifference were the only things that would sell his innocence. He explained after seeing a jolt of disbelief cross Mal's face, "He seemed bored and was the only one not dancing, so I felt bad and started talking to him. Then he said he was interested in seeing the rest of the castle so I offered to show him around, you know?"</p>
<p>Mal looked to her left to exchange a glance with Jay, but Jay didn't return it. He wasn't exactly displaying any intense expression, but his eyes were undoubtedly drilling into him. Disbelief escaped Mal's lips in the form of a snicker and her eyes slanted teasingly.</p>
<p>"<em>You</em> showed <em>Harry</em> around the castle?" She asked, "And you're both still alive?"</p>
<p>"I was... trying to be hospitable," Ben let his indifferent eyes meet Jay's, but only very briefly and deliberately before he smiled with innocent guilt, "I felt kind of bad after us getting off on the wrong foot at the event. I felt like entertaining him for a while was the least I could do."</p>
<p>Ben felt an uneasiness as he was approaching the territory of lying again. But the mention of them not getting along at the event- which was true- may work in his favor to convince Jay that he and Harry hadn't met before that. So his uneasiness relaxed a bit.</p>
<p>"Yeah I thought you two would kill each other. Which is why I'm surprised you're both still alive right now. Anyway, I'm glad you're back. I'm sure I'm wearing Jay out as my dance partner." She nudged her friend in the side, and Jay almost didn't budge in his forceful glaring at Ben, but he seemed to realize his own conspicuous behavior and decided to fake a friendly grin back to Mal.</p>
<p>Ben was relieved to have Jay's deadly glare off of him and he was equally as relieved by Mal's easy acceptance of Ben being gone so long. Not that she had any reason to be <em>unaccepting</em> of it. His only crime was being gone too long. That's really it.</p>
<p>Ben still felt guilt swarm his stomach. He was unsure of where it was coming from, but it was there and he tried to swallow it down as Mal beckoned him back to the rest of the group, who was talking amongst themselves by the edge of one of the buffet tables.</p>
<p>"Well welcome <em>back</em>," Evie jeered once Ben rejoined them, "Where have you been?"</p>
<p>Ben attempted a half-smile, still feeling the guilt swelling up in his stomach. Suddenly that guilt became accompanied with a hesitancy to give the truth. But even if he wanted to shrug off the truth, Mal had beaten him to the answer anyway.</p>
<p>"Apparently he was hanging out with <em>Harry</em>." Mal told them with mild disbelief still present in her expression. Evie raised her eyebrows at the answer, along with Uma beside her who suddenly crossed her arms.</p>
<p>"Huh," Uma said, "Since when did <em>you two</em> become such good friends?"</p>
<p>The question was obviously a sarcastic reference to his and Harry's less than pleasant "previous interaction" at the Isle's event. It was a jab exactly like the one Mal had just made, except Ben couldn't help but pick up on an odd- almost unnoticeable- sternness to the way Uma asked it.</p>
<p>Ben gave an impartial chuckle and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and said, "I guess he's starting to grow on me."</p>
<p>While most everyone in the group- aside from Jay- was already growing pretty indifferent to the revelation of Ben's whereabouts, Uma's eyes remained studying him. Almost like they were staring right through him. Then the panic threatened to set in again. The same panic he had felt when Jay first laid eyes on Harry's handkerchief hanging out of his shirt pocket.</p>
<p>But there was no way for Uma to know anything. There was no way for her to be skeptical of anything. Unless Jay had spoken to her- which he seriously doubted.</p>
<p>Ben swallowed nervously but he managed to push down the beginning stages of panic. Come on, could he just have <em>one</em> night without having to worry about this?</p>
<p>"Well then, where <em>is</em> Harry?" Uma finally brought her eyes away from Ben and looked around their surroundings like a parent who's misbehaving child ran off for the twentieth time. "I swear he's more high maintenance than I gave him credit for."</p>
<p>"He's..." Ben looked over toward the bar where expectedly, he spotted the red suit dawdling about, grossly engaged in an interaction with two young women whom Ben could not recognize from this distance, "Over at the bar."</p>
<p>A grumble of frustration sounded from deep within Uma's throat. She made a motion which made Ben wonder if she was going to go over and scold him, but she simply rolled her eyes and turned back to the group to carry on with whatever their previous conversation was.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Ben did not pull his attention away from Harry across the ballroom. He watched him interact with the two women, leaning into and away from them in a clever, coy manner. Ben could see the three of them laughing, their attention fixed entirely on each other. Then all three kicked back shots of whatever liquor Harry was buying them. With Chad's money, no doubt.</p>
<p>Ben felt an aching inside of his chest. It was like his chest was tethered to a line, pulling him with the force of a truck in their direction. He ached to go over there. To join them and be a part of Harry's continued antics. There was something painful about watching him laughing so carefree with these stranger women. He wanted to be there. He wanted to be...</p>
<p>The <em>reason</em> for Harry's laughter.</p>
<p>Like mere minutes before. Before his father interrupted. In the garden.</p>
<p>Ben's heart lurched at the thought of him teaching Harry how to dance. A hot sensation flooded up to his cheekbones at the embarrassment that came from the image replaying in his mind. There was an embarrassment that came along with how ridiculous the two of them had been. It was an innocent ridiculousness, though. And quite lovely, too.</p>
<p>He wasn't sure what exactly came over him to insist to teach Harry to dance, but he wasn't mad at whatever it was either. Because Harry seemed to have enjoyed it. And that's all he wanted, right? For Harry to enjoy the ball?</p>
<p>He saw Harry leaning into one of the women, placing a hand on her arm in his typical charming manner as he most likely told her some sly joke. They laughed again. They took another round of shots.</p>
<p>If all he wanted was for Harry to enjoy himself, then why was he aching at the sight of him doing so right now?</p>
<p>Ben felt Mal subconsciously wrap her arm around his, which pulled his attention back to the group. Mal was engrossed in the group's conversation and Ben was about to force himself to pay attention and catch up with whatever subject they were on when his eyes caught on Jay. Jay's attention wasn't on the group like everyone else's. He was instead focused on Harry at the bar much like Ben had been. He was watching him in a stoic demeanor for several more seconds before looking back directly at Ben.</p>
<p>They locked eyes too quickly for Ben to dodge and the look on both of their faces- as they were both fully aware of the other's attention on Harry- made it impossible for Ben to carry on feigning nonchalance.</p>
<p><em>'Don't sneak around your fiancee's back.'</em> Ben could almost hear the words repeating from Jay's mind. Was it so obvious to Jay at this point that Ben and Harry had an acquaintanceship that went beyond the last hour they were gone? Still, Ben refused to believe that Jay had enough reasoning to confirm he had snuck off to the Isle to meet Harry, rather than conduct interviews as he claimed to have done.</p>
<p>This was making Ben sick again. His dishonesty this past month was getting remarkably exhausting to keep track of.</p>
<p>Ben abandoned his attention on Jay and looked back to Mal beside him, trying to suppress the guilt and anxiety. He tried to suppress the desire to carry on watching Harry at the bar and the desire to go to him, where he could laugh carelessly too. Where he could escape the prison of dishonesty he had trapped himself in with this friend group, and be with what felt like the only person that he could be completely unrestrained with.</p>
<p>As Ben held onto Mal's arm and forced himself to fake interest in whatever her and Evie were saying, he found his mind settling into a bed of emptiness. A meditation, almost. If he couldn't leave and go speak to Harry without attracting further suspicion and exhausting questions, and if he couldn't freely speak to the friends around him without the worry of letting a piece of his deep, confidential secrets spill out, then he may as well close his eyes and forget about everything. He may as well try to relax and gather his own sanity now so that pretending everything inside of him was okay for the rest of the ball was just a bit easier. <br/><br/><br/></p>
<p>Ben wasn't sure how long it had been since he and Harry had gotten back from their museum trip.There was only an hour or so left of the ball and since they had gotten back, he hadn't had the chance to speak to him again. He had mostly been preoccupied with Mal's friends, dodging frustrating glances from Jay, and meeting different guests to appease his parent's request.</p>
<p>His attempt to distract himself from his problems worked better than he had expected since he actually found himself trying to enjoy his time at the ball again. He was happier too because, even though their time together had ended in a poor manner, the leftover effects of his time spent with Harry still swirled through his mind. He hadn't interacted with Jay either, so it was far easier to allow himself time of relaxation and reflecting on his and Harry's detour. While holding onto the excited feelings of being in his company was enough to keep him in better spirits, it soon started to fade out.</p>
<p>He had seen Harry frequently throughout the ballroom. It was hard <em>not</em> to with how much he stood out among everyone else. He would see him laughing with Uma or with Evie. Mostly, he would see him with women Ben didn't know. Like the women from the bar. While Ben was keeping himself preoccupied with the business of talking to strangers, Harry was keeping himself preoccupied with the amusement of <em>flirting</em> with strangers.</p>
<p>Each time Ben would catch him flirting with one of the women, he would feel that same pulling sensation that he had felt the first time. It was like a sadness inside of him. A frustration that correlated to the one that almost drove him to insanity at the Royal Table. When Harry was flirting with Chad.</p>
<p>Was he so desperate to be as carefree as Harry was, that he was going to feel sick every time he saw Harry entertaining himself with someone else? There had to be <em>some</em> reason for how difficult of a time he had watching him do so.</p>
<p>But... he wasn't <em>completely</em> upset by it every time.</p>
<p>Like just minutes earlier he saw Harry dancing with her. The same woman from the bar. Ben was on the dance floor with Mal, leading her in a slow, loose rhythm of steps when he had caught sight of Harry not too far away from them. He was posed with his partner properly- as Ben had taught him- and the two were waltzing away on the floor as if it were something Harry had done a hundred times over. He wasn't flawless in his steps, but he was flawless in how he <em>looked</em>. And seeing him enjoying himself while dancing brought a joy to Ben that was as strong as the joy he had felt <em>teaching</em> him to dance.</p>
<p>The joy manifested itself in flutters swarming his stomach and chest. And it was so difficult to not smile at the sight.</p>
<p>"It's so nice not seeing you all stressed out for once," Mal had said, beaming admirably at Ben's smile, "I'm really glad this ball is giving you a chance to relax."</p>
<p>Now, Ben was standing near the buffet table, half-engrossed in a conversation with a small group of people his mother had just introduced him to. Mal had gone off to busy herself with others while he was stuck entertaining these three guests alone who's names he couldn't even remember. It was incredibly exhausting having to repeat the same boring conversation about the educational program and answering questions he and Mal would spend another entire event answering.</p>
<p>He was itching to get away. So when he saw Harry in the corner of his eye, heading to pick at the food from the buffet table he was standing by, he practically leaped at the opportunity. He apologized and excused himself from the conversation, ignoring the reluctance and slight offense in the guests' eyes as he backed away and pivoted toward his friend.</p>
<p>Harry had a small plate filled with desserts by the time Ben had reached him and was already working through it eagerly.</p>
<p>"So would you say you're having fun now?" Ben questioned, dipping into Harry's view by leaning on the table beside him.</p>
<p>"Ben!" Harry blurted with a mouth half full of food. He twisted to face him and Ben immediately noticed the drooping of his eyelids and red flushing under his eyes. Even without the stench of alcohol overpowering the aroma of desserts around them, Ben could already sense Harry's level of intoxication was far higher than it had been so far that night. An uneasiness scratched at Ben as he glanced down at the stout glass of dark liquor Harry had brought with him. "Ya' know, at the expense of me own poor ego, I must say, I'm not <em>totally</em> bored."</p>
<p>Ben chuckled, "Right. Well it looks like you're having a great time." He watched Harry hilariously fumble with his food before adding, "I saw you dancing earlier."</p>
<p>Harry's eyebrows shot up, "Aye! Didja now? Well then, Dear Instructor, how'd I do?"</p>
<p>Ben gestured encouragingly with his hand and said, "You looked great, actually. I'm pretty impressed at how quickly you picked that up."</p>
<p>"Well," Harry humbly put his hand on his heart and dipped his head to Ben, "I had the best teacher."</p>
<p>Heat rose through Ben's body and he grinned shyly. He scratched the back of his neck and said, "I mean, no, I can only take so much credit."</p>
<p>"<em>And</em>," Harry went on without fully hearing Ben's response, "The best <em>dance</em> <em>partner</em>. I'm referrrin' to you, not her, by th'way. You're a great dancer Ben. I'm not sure if'yer aware'er not. But yer a great dancer."</p>
<p>The heat in his body doubled in temperature at Harry's sentiment, as slurred and inattentive as it came out. He found his words caught in his throat so he could only muster an abashed, sputter of a laugh as Harry rambled on.</p>
<p>"En I'm not jussayin' that justa say it, y'know? I mean it. I actually wanted to tell ya' before but then like, yer dad showed up'n everythin'- how'd that chat go by the way? He looked <em>pissed</em>, I felt kinda bad for leavin' ya'- ssspecially since I was pretty much the reason you left this party in the first place, y'know?"</p>
<p>Harry's rambling was incredibly difficult to follow once you combined his slurring, his awful attention span, and his accent that seemed to have gotten twice as thick.</p>
<p>"Ha, yeah," Ben laughed delicately, watching Harry with an inability to hide his amused smile, "It's okay. It wasn't too bad. It was just a bit embarrassing, so I'm actually glad you weren't around to experience it."</p>
<p>"He didn't yell at ya' did'e?"</p>
<p>"Oh, no. No, he wouldn't <em>dare</em> cause a scene around so many important guests," Ben assured in a joking manner which, after a second thought, began to trickle into a more serious consideration. "Uhh, I can probably expect he will tomorrow, though."</p>
<p>"Huh, well that's... rather... unhealthy."</p>
<p>"I mean. It's fine. I can deal with it. At most he'll just damage my pride."</p>
<p>"Well, ya' can always banish'em to the Isle," Harry offered, which made Ben laugh aloud.</p>
<p>"That's an idea," Ben pondered humorously, "Except the Isle isn't a prison anymore."</p>
<p>Harry shrugged off Ben's argument with a sloppy wave of his hand, "Psssh! Just find a <em>different</em> island."</p>
<p>He said it with such an exaggerated certainty that it made Ben break out into another fit of laughter. Harry's attention seemed to have been fluttering all around and his body swayed in an aimless rhythm as he went on rambling, his voice loosely fluctuating in volume and articulation.</p>
<p>"Wait... ssso..." His eyes squinted in confusion, "Hypthhetically speakin', if you <em>did</em> want to banish yer parents... issthat- like- somethin' you could <em>do</em>? Like, because <em>you're</em> the King, y'know. Or d'they still have power?" Harry pinched his forehead, as if he were truly struggling to comprehend this ordeal. "I've never understood that."</p>
<p>"Wow, you were really serious when you said you don't pay attention to the Kingdom's formalities."</p>
<p>"Uh. I dunno why that surprises you."</p>
<p>"I'm not quite sure if it <em>does</em> surprise me," Ben teased, to which Harry cackled. Ben let his admiring eyes linger on Harry's smile before continuing. "Well, to answer your question, no. I can't exactly banish my parents. They still very much hold the title of King and Queen."</p>
<p>"But if they're still King'nQueen, what'sss-even the point of makin' <em>you</em> King, then?"</p>
<p>"Wait, Harry, are you challenging my rightful authority now?" Ben tried to fake a seriousness but his attempt to alarm Harry failed miserably because of Harry's current inability to hold even a shred of serious demeanor. At Ben's question, Harry let out a hiss of laughter, which evolved into an uncontrolled fit of drunken giggles that turned out to be too contagious for Ben to continue holding onto any shred of his own seriousness either.</p>
<p>The two were then laughing together as naturally as they had laughed together without the confines of the ballroom. They were laughing together and an airiness was swirling around Ben as if the pulling weight he had been feeling before had suddenly been cut away. Like he was finally allowed to float freely again. To be carefree. To laugh carelessly. And now that he was laughing carelessly again with Harry, it was so easy to shove aside the matter that he was supposed to be faking an impersonal acquaintanceship with him.</p>
<p>It was so easy to <em>want</em> to forget about it, too. To want to shove the worry aside. I mean, would it be <em>that</em> unbelievable to everyone else if Harry and Ben were friends? Couldn't they just accept that the two got along now <em>without</em> having to suspect that they may have met together more times than just the Isle's event?</p>
<p>This felt <em>right</em>.</p>
<p>Before their tour, it was merely disappointing to have to put up a front for their friends around them. But now it was simply agonizing to have to do so. And so he almost didn't care about pretending anymore. He almost gave up entirely on the need to continue tricking everyone into thinking he and Harry were nothing more than two individuals with a difficulty in getting along.</p>
<p>He almost did.</p>
<p>Almost.</p>
<p>Because right before he finally let go off all of his worries, their interaction became stunted by another figure poking his way in between them.</p>
<p>Ben's laughter faltered when he saw Jay appear beside Harry and despite his friendly grin, there was a cautionary aura radiating off of him that immediately sucked all of the security out of Ben's body.</p>
<p>"Jaayyy!" Harry turned his body toward Jay in an inviting manner and placed his free hand on his old friend's shoulder. He pulled him in in a roughly affectionate manner- to which Jay didn't exactly seem thrilled with, but he didn't fight it. Jay examined his friend before scoffing with half amusement and half concern.</p>
<p>"Jeez, Harry, how drunk are you?" he asked with Harry's arm still obnoxiously wrapped around his shoulder.</p>
<p>"Immnot drunk, <em>Jaayyyy</em>." At Harry's obviously false claim, Jay exchanged a glance with Ben- which Ben was surprised to see was filled with a more mutual amusement rather than any threat of hostility.</p>
<p>"Right," Jay patted Harry's chest, "Not drunk at all."</p>
<p>"Didja come here just to lecture me?" Harry complained with a disapproving frown. At this point, Harry probably didn't even realize how closely he was leaning into Jay. Like he was practically hanging off of him.</p>
<p>"No," Jay said, matter-of-factly, "It's not like you would listen to any of my lecturing anyway." Harry agreed with a smirk and dip of his head. Jay gave a concerned glance to the drink in Harry's other hand and huffed, "But regardless, I do think maybe you should consider slowing down."</p>
<p>Harry rolled his eyes, "Uughh! And I think <em>youuu</em> should consider speedin'<em>up</em>!" Harry then handed Jay the glass by pressing it into Jay's chest- who grabbed it before Harry recklessly let go of it. "Ere, finish this for me, will'ya?"</p>
<p>Jay looked down at the drink warily before asking, "What is this, anyway?"</p>
<p>Harry sang, "Just drink it'n find out, Tough Guy." Then, as if his own words had been hilarious, he proceeded to chuckle like a maniac. Ben was actually a bit surprised to see Jay put the glass to his lips and take a drink like Harry suggested. Ben watched him let it pass over his tongue before swallowing, considering the taste for a second, and then scrunching his nose in skepticism. This made Harry chuckle harder.</p>
<p>"This tastes expensive," Jay noted, maintaining his skeptical look on Harry.</p>
<p>"Well <em>duh</em>!" Harry frowned, "Hav'ya <em>been</em> to that bar? Lit'rally <em>everything</em> there's expensive!"</p>
<p>"U-huh. And who's paying for it?"</p>
<p>"Psshhh..." Harry dismissed the question as if it had no reason to be asked in the first place. Jay held his eyes firmly on Harry, patiently waiting for him to give an actual response. Harry rolled his eyes, laughed innocently, and said, "<em>I</em> am, of course. And bein' rich's <em>fun</em>, Jay. Why didn't either'v'ya' tell me the amount of women that flaunt themselves o'er ya' once ya' pull outta giant wad of cash?"</p>
<p>Jay narrowed his eyes and without missing a beat asked, "Who did you steal from?"</p>
<p>"I-..." Harry's expression molted into a overly dramatic look of shock and offense, "How... dare you assss<em>ume</em> that I'd do sucha thing."</p>
<p>"Well I don't pre<em>sume</em> that suit came with a wad of cash. And you are... <em>you</em>. So..."</p>
<p>Ben looked nervously between the two, feeling the urge to step in and assure Jay that <em>he</em> had given Harry money to buy drinks to drop the subject before Harry admitted to stealing from Chad. He opened his mouth to cut in, but before he even blinked, and without Harry even noticing, Jay pulled his hand up from the front pocket of Harry's pants. In his hands, Chad's leather wallet.</p>
<p>"Yeah," Jay held up the wallet in front of him, "I doubt this belongs to you." Harry scoffed as if Jay had just attacked him. Jay yanked it out of range effortlessly when Harry grasped for it back. Harry only attempted that one time before he contently gave up and sighed, growing a devious grin of admiration instead.</p>
<p>"Pfff well gosh, <em>Jay</em>, ifya' wanted'ta ssstick yer hands in me pants allya' had't'do was <em>ask. </em>No need'ta be sneaky about it," Harry cooed, leaning his face into Jay's intrusively. Since Harry's body was still practically hanging off of Jay's, Jay used this opportunity to evade his obnoxious advance and push him off entirely. Jay did so in a manner that was so withdrawn and unbothered it made Ben wonder if this type of behavior from Harry was something he was completely used to.</p>
<p>Ben shifted uncomfortably as he remained an awkward bystander to their interaction. He watched Harry snickering at Jay until Jay had opened the wallet and released a breath of only mild disbelief.</p>
<p>"Chad? Really?"</p>
<p>"I mean," Harry shrugged with a slightly guilty smile, "'Eat the rich,' amirite?"</p>
<p>"Harry," Jay frowned, "You need to give this back."</p>
<p>"Oh come <em>on</em>," Harry scoffed, "Tssnot like Chad can't just get the money back by askin' his <em>dad</em> for more allowance."</p>
<p>"It doesn't matter," Jay argued firmly, "You can't just come to a party you were invited to and start pickpocketing everyone."</p>
<p>"Not <em>everyone.</em> Jus those that won't miss the cash I borrow. Y'know, stick itta' the bureaucrats- no offense, Ben."</p>
<p>"So politically righteous of you, Harry," Jay said sarcastically. Ben could have been mistaken, but he swore he could see Jay smiling with authentic amusement. It was hard not to be amused though, with how ridiculously entertaining drunk-Harry was. But if Jay were seriously trying to scold him, he was doing a poor job of it by laughing, which would inevitably just encourage Harry's terribly behavior more. Jay rolled his eyes and added, "But you're still going to return this to Chad."</p>
<p>"I've already spent like... half'v what's in there. He's gonna like... have me arrested at this point if I givit back."</p>
<p>Jay was clearly set on insisting Harry give it back, which, Ben had to agree with. In fact, the only reason <em>he</em> hadn't yet made Harry return it like he intended was because he honestly had forgotten. And although it went against any morals a King was supposed to have, he kind of felt deep down that Harry deserved a night of recklessly spending money. He didn't have to risk getting in serious trouble for it. Ben could replace the money. It wouldn't have to be a big deal.</p>
<p>"It's fine," Ben interjected before he could fully consider his offer, "I'll just replace whatever he spent. We can tell Chad we found it."</p>
<p>There was a pause as Jay turned to him in an almost startled way as if he had forgotten Ben was standing there. He looked alarmed for sure, which soon developed into a concentrated look of interest. Ben instantly grew uncomfortable at the way Jay was now studying him. He started to regret speaking in the first place.</p>
<p>Jay narrowed his eyes and asked, "And why would you do that?"</p>
<p><em>What</em>? The challenge and aggression in Jay's tone had Ben stumped. Ben couldn't respond. He was fumbling for a response now. Had his offer betrayed him somehow?</p>
<p>"I-... I mean... Just so this doesn't become a big deal. Unless, you <em>want</em> Harry getting in trouble for it?" Ben hadn't intended for his defense to come off as equally challenging as it had. But now he was getting irritated and it was difficult to hold it back.</p>
<p>"Well it just seems like a pretty big lie to me."</p>
<p>A pretty big lie? Seriously?</p>
<p>Ben's eyes bounced back and forth between Harry and Jay. He was very irritated now. All he wanted was to have a peaceful conversation with Harry. Did Jay really need to stomp all over that right now just to keep up his passive aggressive remarks to constantly remind Ben of the distrust he held? One second he thinks Jay is brushing everything aside, then the next he's jumping at opportunities to somehow trap Ben into a corner of guilt. This was getting tiring.</p>
<p>Harry jumped in saying, "Sounds like our dear king has a <em>great</em> idea. Maybe drop the moral high ground for once? It could save us all a lot of trouble."</p>
<p>Jay frowned at the idea, with his eyes still held menacingly on Ben. Ben's heart began to beat harder, anticipating for Jay to only fire back stronger and more insistent, but to his surprise, he dropped his demeanor and simply huffed in displeasure. With some reluctance, he tossed the wallet at Ben, who's hands barely reacted in the last second to catch it since his body had still been frozen by Jay's attack.</p>
<p>"Fine," Jay said, which made Harry release a long, forceful breath of approval. Jay didn't look back at Ben before he continued speaking. "Oh, and while we're returning things to their rightful owners..."</p>
<p>There was a moment of surrealism where Ben could have sworn time had halted around them. Just a brief moment, as if whatever deity existed above them had given him the opportunity to fully cherish that moment in all of its fullness. That sweet, beautiful, peaceful moment. He held onto it so tightly, for as long as he could, until it was ripped out of his arms the next moment.</p>
<p>That next moment, where Jay had reached into the inside pocket of his suit and pulled out a piece of red and black fabric.</p>
<p>Harry's handkerchief.</p>
<p>Ben's heart stopped.</p>
<p>He grew completely cold and his body was frozen again every centimeter in its place. He was cold and he was frozen and he was completely and utterly <em>fucked</em>.</p>
<p>"Do you recognize this, Harry?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Thick as Two Thieves [Part One]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ben didn't know why he even bothered holding onto the hope that Harry would deny his ownership of the handkerchief. Harry was too drunk to <em>speak</em> properly, so why would he even expect him to <em>think</em> properly either? So when Harry's face scrunched up in recognition and bewilderment, Ben was already so numb from the panic that he couldn't even feel the disappointment of Harry's damning response.</p>
<p>"My <em>handkerchief</em>?" Harry took the fabric from Jay's hand and eyed him skeptically, "I've been lookin' ever'where for this... How the <em>hell</em> did this get inta'yer hands, Jay?"</p>
<p>Good question, Harry. The last time Ben saw it was when he shoved it away in his drawer in his room. So at what point did you, Jay, break into his room and steal it back? Anger began to join the whirlwind of other emotions that were storming within him.</p>
<p>Ben felt Jay's glare shoot straight at him at Harry's question, but Ben refused to look at him. It's not like his petrified body could even manage moving anyways. He was staring almost absently into a narrow area somewhere between Harry and Jay. Like a daze of sickness. Like he was hallucinating.</p>
<p>God he wished he were just hallucinating.</p>
<p>"You must have dropped it at the event."</p>
<p>Ben had braced for Jay to expose his lies right there and start firing questions at the two of them until he was cornered into telling the truth. But when Jay responded with that instead of 'I found it in Ben's shirt pocket that one day,' Ben found himself growing confused. Not exactly relieved- in fact, he was <em>more</em> unsettled because if Jay didn't plan on exposing the truth right then and there, what <em>was</em> he planning?</p>
<p>"How careless've me," Harry squinted his eyes as he worked to methodically fold the handkerchief. He threw another one of his devious grins at Jay and snickered, "I promise I don't lose this very often. I actually try to keep it very close to me heart." He demonstrated by pressing the handkerchief to his chest in a loving manner, then leaned back into Jay and batted his eyes to add, "Y'know, 'cause it's th'only thing I have left to remind me of us."</p>
<p>Ben finally blinked after what felt like an hour of holding his eyes open. Did he hear that right? Or had he lost his mind and he was now hearing things? His eyes pulled themselves onto Harry. He felt his heart rate picking up.</p>
<p>Harry put on a sarcastic pout, feigned an overly-dramatic broken heart, and said, "B'cause this's th'last gift ya' gave me, Jay, before ya' left me all alone in the Isle and <em>never</em> came back."</p>
<p>Ben felt a tightness clench his stomach. A force hit his chest.</p>
<p>
  <em>What?</em>
</p>
<p><em>'The last gift you gave me' </em>? The handkerchief was a <em>gift</em>? Given to Harry by <em>Jay</em>? So Ben had been fucked the second Jay saw it hanging out of his shirt pocket. And Ben, like an idiot, tried to claim that Jay was mistaking the handkerchief for another. Ben tried to claim that the handkerchief wasn't 'one of a kind' when Jay knew undoubtedly that was a lie. And instead of calling him out on it then and there, Jay- like the conniving genius he was- had effortlessly led Ben into entangling himself into his own web of lies. He let it spiral and expand and now he held an entire logbook of Ben's wrongdoings in his hands.</p>
<p>Jay had <em>given</em> the handkerchief to Harry. Somehow this fact brought Ben more than just the alarm of being incriminated. He felt a sense of nausea, confusion, and embarrassment. What he felt now was in every way so much worse than what he felt seeing Harry with Chad or with the women from the bar. This was stronger. This was real.</p>
<p>Harry then chuckled into the side of Jay's face, "Well... the last <em>material</em> gift ya' gave me, anyway, if you know what I-"</p>
<p>"Okay, okay, Harry," Jay stopped him and ducked away from his advancement, "Just take the damn handkerchief, alright?"</p>
<p>Jay was keeping his stare on Ben as Ben could only stand there with his heart beating so hard in his chest that it was now growing painful. Everything inside of him solidified like a rock and there were so many emotions and questions flooding his mind and he didn't even understand half of them. Meanwhile, Harry was clinging obnoxiously onto Jay and giggling like a drunk idiot. Entirely oblivious of the crisis happening in front of him. It was like Ben was being taunted mercilessly at this point. Like it was all a sick joke.</p>
<p>He couldn't be at the end of it anymore. He couldn't stand there anymore. He needed to leave. To think. To get away from Jay, who was beginning to feel less like a friend of his fiancee and more like an apparitional embodiment of Ben's inevitable tragedy. But even though it was Jay who had turned this fun moment entirely upside down, Ben felt, with great soreness, that it was really Harry who he needed to get away from.</p>
<p>There was something so painful about looking at him right now. He felt betrayed by him. And that made him so angry because Harry was supposed to be that sliver of sanity for him. He was so happy around him. He was free around him. But Ben was beginning to realize that while Harry was the only person allowing him to feel happy, he simultaneously felt like the only person that was creating his conflict in the first place.</p>
<p>While Jay was seeming more like the embodiment of Ben's doom. Harry was seeming more like the embodiment of Ben's internal emotional war.</p>
<p>And he couldn't take it anymore. With an inexpressible pain in his chest, Ben turned without saying a word and set off mindlessly toward someplace else in the ballroom. He refused to look back at either of them because he feared that if he did, his body would fall to the ground and shatter into millions of pieces.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Harry's impulse of laughter carried on despite how clearly irritated Jay had become. He knew Jay wasn't <em>that</em> upset. Jay could seem stone cold and as callous toward Harry all he wanted, but Harry knew deep inside, his teasing would always hold some irresistibility for Jay. That's why it was so enjoyable trying to piss him off. And why the laughter kept rolling despite the stern, fed up look on Jay's face.</p>
<p>It was the look on Ben's face which made his laughing cease. It was when Ben sourly walked off without saying a word that seemed to temporarily stunt his lifted spirits.</p>
<p>Harry watched him go in a blur, confused at first because he hadn't been aware of Ben being called over to someone else. There wasn't anyone else around. Ben wouldn't just walk away like that would he? Without so much as looking at Harry or excusing himself? Harry tried to exchange a glance with Jay, as if he'd gain some context as to what drove Ben away in that manner, but Jay was watching him walk off as well. He sensed a different type of callousness coming off of Jay and suddenly, Harry grew uncomfortable.</p>
<p>He wanted to keep talking to Ben. Not that he didn't always have a great time annoying Jay, he just preferred maintaining the elation of being in Ben's company. They had been having such a great time up until then. It switched off so suddenly that Harry was certain he was mistaken by interpreting Ben's exit as sourness.</p>
<p>Without much more consideration, Harry abandoned Jay's side to follow after Ben. It was difficult finding him with what felt like thousands of other people congregated in the ballroom, but after several laborious minutes of searching with only half his eyesight functioning, he finally spotted him.</p>
<p>And Ben spotted him as well. Harry felt a spark of relief, but it only lasted less than a second before he realized Ben had no intention of meeting him halfway. Almost immediately after seeing Harry, Ben had turned and practically ran off again.</p>
<p>What the actual hell, Ben?</p>
<p>Harry attempted a second time to find Ben several minutes later. It was difficult to physically reach him once he spotted him again because of his terrible coordination and inability to swiftly maneuver the crowd, but he did. And he managed to sneak up on him as to not allow him a chance to run off again before he could speak to him.</p>
<p>"Hey, Benny, care for a quick chat?" Harry had prodded with a saltiness to his voice. His heart sunk further when he noticed Ben looked less than pleased at Harry's sudden appearance.</p>
<p>Ben had been on a determined path somewhere so he only stopped briefly to acknowledge Harry. He barely looked at him when he said:</p>
<p>"I-... I'm sorry, I really can't. I have to... talk to some people."</p>
<p>And that was it. He walked away again and left Harry alone and bewildered.</p>
<p>They were finally forced together again later when the friend group had merged back together. Ben was with Mal as per usual, except this time Harry noticed Ben's arm wrapped more deliberately around her than normal. Ben glanced at Harry once, but that was it. The rest of their interaction consisted of ten minutes of Ben and Mal talking to one half of the friend group and Harry and Uma speaking to the other. All while Harry inconspicuously attempted to draw Ben's attention to him. With absolutely no success. It was ten minutes of that before the frustration and anger replaced Harry's desire to resolve whatever happened with Ben.</p>
<p>This inevitably led him back to the bar. Except now he had no money on him so he was left alone sitting on one of the stools drinking a glass of water while his sobriety crept slowly and painfully back.</p>
<p>He was tapping his fingernails in a quick, anxious rhythm against the glass and his leg was restless under the bar. Harry was <em>never</em> this anxious and certainly not when he was as drunk as he was now. He absolutely hated the feeling. He wanted to go back to having a fun relaxing time. He wanted it so desperately that he found himself trying to pinpoint the exact moment Ben's mood shifted so that he could piece together different ways their exchange could have gone. As if discovering where it went wrong and imagining the conversation ending up with the right outcome had any impact on the reality of the situation. But it didn't matter anyway because Harry was struggling to even remember the details conversation. His mind was so disoriented he was having enough of a difficult time focusing in the present that trying to successfully recount the past hour was out of the question.</p>
<p>He was just about ready to give up entirely.</p>
<p>"Wow. Are you actually drinking <em>water</em>?"</p>
<p>Harry blinked heavily and was quite surprised to see Jay materialize beside him, leaning onto the bar and into his view. It wasn't exactly the person Harry wished would come speak to him right now, but he'd accept the routine banter with Jay any day. He was a bit confused as to why Jay had come over, though, since usually Jay preferred <em>not</em> to seek out their banter the way Harry did. Perhaps Harry tormenting Jay over their handkerchief actually made him a bit nostalgic.</p>
<p>Harry narrowed his eyes to say, "Well ya' stole from me the only source I had of obtainin' any <em>real</em> drink, and quite honestly I'd rather sober up than have another glass of free champagne at this point."</p>
<p>"Ah, cutting your journey of drinking the entire champagne table short, I see," Jay gave a small grin which Harry could see a spark of annoying virtue in.</p>
<p>Harry sighed a tired sigh and said, "Sorry to disappoint ya'," before taking a long drink of the water in front of him. Jay was silent for a moment and Harry could feel his eyes studying him the same way he did every time he picked up on an ulterior emotion in Harry. It was annoying as always, but simultaneously comforting. Jay took a seat in the stool beside him.</p>
<p>He said, "Honestly, if one of us is disappointed by something, I don't think it me."</p>
<p>"Mmm are ya' here to cheer me up then, Jay? Or, to take advantage of a poor lonely lad at the bar?"</p>
<p>Jay chuckled, "Neither, actually."</p>
<p>Harry shrugged, "Well I guess I <em>am</em> the one disappointed, then." He took another drink of his water. Jay laughed again. Harry eyed him curiously with heavy eyes before asking, "Well then, Jay, why <em>are</em> ya' here? If not to entertain your dear old <em>friend</em>."</p>
<p>Harry was certain Jay took note of the bitterness in his tone at the word "friend", but he didn't make a notion to acknowledge it. Jay instead tapped his fingers on the surface of the bar as he tended to do when he was contemplating approaching a serious inquiry. Harry groaned internally, since his mental state wasn't exactly equipped to play the types of games Jay liked to during these 'serious inquiries'.</p>
<p>"What's going on with you and Ben?"</p>
<p>Harry set his glass of water back down a bit too roughly. He stared at it for a second, feeling his head swirl just like the water in the glass, before lifting an eyebrow. He genuinely was surprised by the question, but at least it was a straightforward question rather than one of his aggravating mind games.</p>
<p>"What the hell d'ya mean?"</p>
<p>"I think you know exactly what I mean."</p>
<p>"I don't even think <em>you</em> know exactly what ya' mean."</p>
<p>Jay frowned. "You two left together for an <em>hour</em>. It's just a bit strange that no one has ever seen you two interact on friendly terms and suddenly you're getting royal invites and custom-made suits. So forgive me for wondering what's going on and what exactly you were doing for an entire hour."</p>
<p>"Oh <em>no</em>, ya' caught us," Harry put his hand to his cheek in a sluggish attempt to look surprised, "I confess. We eloped and got married. We weren't gonna announce it, though, until after the ball, so don't tell anyone or I'll throw ya' in jail. Which I can do because I'm the Queen now."</p>
<p>"Harry I'm being serious."</p>
<p>"Well ya' <em>sound</em> ridiculous," Harry scowled, "And I don't appreciate the way ya' make it seem like I can't do a single thing without it bein' suspicious or sinful in some way."</p>
<p>"I just told you, it's the <em>circumstances</em> that make it suspicious, Harry."</p>
<p>At this point, Harry was fed up with Jay's questioning because he knew Jay was not the type to back down when he was certain he was right. Which, in a way he was. There <em>was</em> more to Harry and Ben's relationship than anyone else knew about. But as correct as Jay was to speculate there <em>was</em> more to it, he was also just as wrong in the speculation of what exactly was going on between them. And for some reason, the blatant assumption that it was anything amorous brought a frustration and almost upsetting disappointment to Harry.</p>
<p>Harry scoffed, projecting the frustration into his defense. "What circumstances? Ya' mean the fact that this ball is god-awfully boring and Ben was just tryin' to entertain me? Or is it the fact that he's straight, engaged, and in a position of power that could ruin my life that makes you think there's something between us?"</p>
<p>Jay sat up straighter, shifting the weight of his body with frustration. His eyes circled their surroundings before he proceeded. "It's the fact that you are the way you are and Ben has been acting like a nervous wreck for the past month."</p>
<p>Harry didn't miss a beat in his response. "I'm not responsible for whatever the hell is going on in Ben's life. We didn't get along before, but now we're friends. That's all there is to it. <em>Friends</em>. Is that not satisfactory for ya'? Can I not be <em>friends</em> with the goddamn King?"</p>
<p>Jay narrowed his eyes. He clearly didn't believe Harry, but Harry made sure nothing he said was exactly a lie, so it didn't matter whether Jay believed him or not. He was being honest. Jay hummed a quick chuckle of disbelief and his eyes were still accusatory in the way they looked at Harry as he said, "That depends on what you consider to be <em>friendship</em>. Because, let's be honest, your definition can vary."</p>
<p>It was Harry's turn to narrow his eyes. He couldn't hold back his own hum of laughter either. "Well," Harry purred, turning his body to face Jay with a soft yet provoking grin, "I can assure you, it's definitely not <em>our</em> style of friendship."</p>
<p>Jay rolled his eyes upward, which would be clear to anyone on the outside that he very much disapproved of Harry's provocative indication of their past relationship, but the way the line of his lips were set, with the outer end lifted ever so slightly, Harry could see that tiny hint of irresistibility. Jay stared at him for a long time before he went back to drumming his fingers on the bar.</p>
<p>Harry watched his fingers work systematically against the table creating a more methodical tempo than before. He knew Jay was deeply thinking about his next approach to the same subject. He was thinking of ways to work around the big question to entrap Harry into giving more information than he planned. Harry was still hanging onto that hint of effect he made on Jay. No matter how minuscule and weak it was, it was there. And because it was there, that meant he had something to hold on to, to work with, and steer Jay in a different direction. He took the opportunity before Jay was able to say something else.</p>
<p>Harry turned back forward, laughed and muttered, "God... I can't believe yer jealousy sometimes." He shook his head and took another drink of his water.</p>
<p>"Oh don't even <em>start</em> with that shit," Jay grumbled, "Ben is engaged to my best friend. He's promised her a perfect future, but now I have more than enough reasons to believe he's dangerously close to breaking that promise. I don't want him to fuck that up and I <em>don't</em> want to watch someone I care about get hurt and lose everything. I could care less if you decided to sleep with half the people in this room and you know that. So don't turn this around to flatter yourself."</p>
<p>Harry maintained his provoking grin despite Jay's harsh words. He knew full well that jealousy wasn't the issue. Jay would actually have to have <em>real</em> <em>feelings</em> for him for any of it to be jealousy and Harry accepted long ago that real feelings really weren't the driving spark in their relationship. Even if it might have been there long before, it definitely wasn't now. And it hadn't been there for a long time. And Harry, like Jay, was perfectly fine with that. Still, it was an easy jab to make and Harry was going to utilize whatever he could to steer Jay's attention away from Ben. Not just because Harry hated lying and didn't want to keep doing so on Ben's behalf, but because he genuinely did not want to think about Ben right now. Especially not when the subject was 'what's was going on between them?'."</p>
<p>So Harry kept his provoking grin on Jay, studying him for a long moment in a devious way that made Jay finally frown and say, "<em>What?</em>"</p>
<p>"You need to relax, Jay," Harry finally said sourly, "Jeez, you claim your life now is so great and happy and purposeful, but ever since ya' left the Isle to live here, you've had quite the stick up yer ass."</p>
<p>"I don't have a stick up my ass. I think it just seems that way when you're around because <em>you</em> are a <em>pain </em>in the ass to deal with," Jay said, returning Harry's provoking grin back to him.</p>
<p>Harry's lip twitched humorously and he found himself saying, "Hm, well I'm glad to know I've got such an effect on ya' like that."</p>
<p>"Yeah, you're flattering yourself, again."</p>
<p>Harry couldn't hold back his rolling laughter. Suddenly, alongside the sensation of his head spinning in the air, came a tightness in his body. It was similar to the tugging feeling he had felt before for Ben. Except this time it was tainted with an ounce of pain. His body wasn't telling him to follow this feeling like it did with the tugging. It wasn't telling him to let go and become fulling enveloped by the feeling. No. <em>This</em> sensation didn't need to be embraced; it needed to be cured. Like a sickness. A sad sickness of being let down and completely rejected.</p>
<p>He desperately wanted to forget it. To pull his mind away from it. He had been hoisted up to the highest point of bliss for Ben, just to be dropped in a split second.</p>
<p>Why did he have to suddenly think of this right now?</p>
<p>Harry felt his drunken emotions coming back up. It was the first time he realized the anger he was feeling. And the hurt.</p>
<p>The emotions were coming back up and Harry became desperate to suppress them. He almost felt an impulse to spill it all out to Jay. To tell him everything as if they were best friends again, loitering behind an alleyway somewhere on the Isle and updating each other on the mediocre things that had happened to them that day. But, no matter how drunk he was, he'd still have just enough sensibility to <em>not</em> foolishly share his current predicament with the one person who had just expressed a deep concern over the very topic. So his only real option to manage the oncoming emotions was to distract himself and hopefully move on. That was the cure.</p>
<p>Move on.</p>
<p>Harry tried to hold onto the laughter of Jay's remark. He could see Jay grinning too, which helped in keeping his attention off of his deeper thoughts. He sat there, watching Jay and pondering for a second before he turned to the bartender who was busily cleaning a few glasses.</p>
<p>"Pardon me," Harry waved him over, "We'll take two shots of whiskey and two glasses of whatever you think is strong enough to get this man right here to lighten up." He gestured to Jay who's mouth was hung open in protest and beginning to cut Harry off. But the bartender had already nodded and turned away, leaving Harry alone to face Jay's expected bitching.</p>
<p>"Harry <em>no</em>... what the hell?"</p>
<p>"Like I said," Harry nudged his arm with his elbow, "You need to relax. Have some fun like ya' used to." Jay opened his mouth again to continue his protest but Harry quickly held up his hand and said, "It's a Saturday anyway, so don't use your borin' job as an excuse because I seriously doubt you work tomorrow."</p>
<p>Jay dropped his stern demeanor just a touch, but he still frowned and stubbornly said, "I'm not here to get wasted like you."</p>
<p>Harry groaned in exaggerated disinterest, "Y'know you used to actually be a lot of fun. I know ya' don't like bein' reminded of it. As much as ya' like to pretend to be good and responsible and mature and better than me in every possible way, it wasn't that long ago you were drinkin', stealin', and running recklessly around the Isle right alongside of me."</p>
<p>"You do know you don't have to be a criminal to be <em>fun</em>, right?"</p>
<p>Harry turned to him, perking up and waving his hand with sarcastic wonder. "Oh! My bad. Then what <em>does</em> the modern-day Jay like to do for fun? Hmm?" Harry rested his chin on his hand and squinted teasingly, "Coach Tourney games? Go to bed at eight pm?"</p>
<p>Jay watched him through narrowed lids and Harry could see the muscles in his jaw tighten.</p>
<p>When Jay neglected to respond, Harry snickered, "I mean, Jeez, you've become so prudent you couldn't even keep up with <em>Gil</em> on yer honeymoon retreat."</p>
<p>"Okay, first, It wasn't a <em>honeymoon retreat</em>, asshole," He argued.</p>
<p>Harry laughed and corrected himself, "Fine. <em>Romantic expedition</em>. Whatever you want to call it." Jay rolled his eyes in a way which told Harry that term didn't exactly get his stamp of approval either.</p>
<p>"<em>Second</em>," Jay said, moving on grudgingly, "It's not that I couldn't <em>keep up</em> with him. I just started to miss being with all of my friends. <em>He</em> wanted to keep traveling. That was it."</p>
<p>"So Jay abandoned the pirate to live the comfortable, borin' life in Auradon," Harry sighed, then he frowned in concentration and snapped his finger, "Y'know... That story sounds very familiar... Where have I heard it before?"</p>
<p>Jay tilted his head, "Ha. Ha. Very funny. Will you <em>ever</em> get over it?"</p>
<p>"I dunno. Will you <em>ever</em> apologize for it?" Harry threw him a bitter, yet lighthearted glare. He was only slightly disappointed when Jay dismissed it as another joke. Slightly. Harry sighed deeply again and muttered, "You heartless bastard."</p>
<p>Jay actually gave a chuckle this time. Then he said, "Also, for your information, I didn't <em>abandon</em> Gil. It was a mutual departure. We're still on good terms and things will be perfectly cordial between us when he gets back."</p>
<p>Harry kept his eyes on Jay a moment longer, feeling a bit humored by his need to clarify. As if making sure Harry knew he <em>wasn't</em> treating Gil in the same heartless fashion as he treated Harry was somehow comforting. Well... It <em>was</em> comforting, though. As much as it hurt Harry's ego, he was still glad to know that his former crew-mate managed to gain <em>some</em> level of care from Jay where Harry did not.</p>
<p>"Unlike you and I," Harry muttered, which he definitely wouldn't have said had he been sober. He felt Jay throw him a glance.</p>
<p>"Well, like I said, you're a pain in the ass. So it makes cordiality a bit difficult."</p>
<p>Harry was actually a bit relaxed that Jay went the teasing route, rather than turning his remark into anything serious. He really didn't care for a serious conversation right now. He was far more interested in the bartender who was now returning and setting down in front of them two stout glasses of dark liquor and two smaller shot-glasses filled to the brim with whiskey. Harry eyed them eagerly while Jay eyed them with dissatisfaction.</p>
<p>Harry nudged him again and said, "Well then, I'm sure- since you claim to still be so fun- you wouldn't mind having a drink with me?"</p>
<p>"You think I have any desire to prove to you I'm still fun by <em>drinking</em>?"</p>
<p>Harry, bored to death with Jay's self-righteous determination to be the symbol of responsibility, pushed one of the shot-glasses closer to Jay and said, "Just... Have a drink with me. I know that enjoyable part of ya' is dying to come out for a night."</p>
<p>Jay frowned, eyeing the glass further. His tongue poked the inside of his cheek as he evidently mulled over surrender.</p>
<p>"Come <em>on</em>. I promise I won't be a pain in yer ass," Harry pressed, and he watched Jay pick up the shot glass with dull enthusiasm. Harry grinned and couldn't hold back from adding, "Unless, of course... you're in the mood for that."</p>
<p>Jay paused, only half-taken aback by the remark, and snorted in disapproval, "Wow, your respectability lasted a whole <em>thirty seconds</em>."</p>
<p>Harry only laughed and watched as Jay sighed and swiftly kicked back the shot. His mouth twitched in displeasure of the taste before he looked back to Harry and frowned. He gestured to the other shot glass which Harry had deliberately left sitting on the table.</p>
<p>"What? You're not gonna take yours?"</p>
<p>"Oh no," Harry shook his head and pushed the second shot toward Jay. "They're both for you." Harry elected one of the cocktails instead for himself and took a sip of it while Jay's expression fell back into one of annoyance.</p>
<p>"Seriously?"</p>
<p>"Yes," Harry shrugged, "You need'ta catch up to me. Besides you were the one tellin' me I needed to slow down earlier."</p>
<p>There was another long moment of Jay staring at him in displeasure. Seeing that look would never get old for Harry. It was nice revisiting Harry's lifelong mission of pushing Jay to the brink of insanity. Although the satisfaction of pushing his buttons wasn't as great as certain other events of this night, it definitely made for proper entertainment. And it made for a great distraction. A distraction from the simmering pain that came from thinking about those 'certain other events of this night' and how quickly the joy from them had fallen apart.</p>
<p>It would be difficult to ignore it no matter how much he'd indulge in his conversation with Jay, or no matter how drunk he would get, but he would surely try. Moving on was clearly his only option. So, when he watched his old friend cave in and bring the second shot of whiskey to his lips, he could feel a piece of that simmering pain dissolve away.</p>
<p>Even if Jay's company wasn't exactly what his heart longed for, he still felt some alleviation knowing that he was not left entirely in his own loneliness.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Thick as Two Thieves [Part Two]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>[CW: Moderate Sexual Content]</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If every thought that crossed his mind, every emotion that latched onto his chest, and every question that entangled his soul were a brick, Ben would have an entire castle built atop him. He would be buried beneath it, deep into the ground, where he couldn't move or breathe. That's what it felt like, at least.</p>
<p>There was so much of it. Too much. The only thing he could do to manage his own mind was to clear it entirely. Thinking, right now, would lead to a repeat of the Enchanted Lake meltdown and if he weren't already in enough trouble, <em>that</em> would inevitably seal the deal of his fate. If he broke down right now in front of everyone here in this ballroom, he would be done for. Done for in every possible way. He wouldn't even need Jay exposing his lies to ruin him.</p>
<p>Ben sucked in a deep breath.</p>
<p>He had been standing with Mal and Evie and Uma, pretending as best as he could to listen to their conversation- as the entire second half of this ball seemed to have consisted of. There wasn't much longer of it he had to get through. The party was winding down. No one was really dancing any more and the last half hour would be simple chatting until everyone dispersed. Ben had already given his speech at the Royal Table, so he didn't have to worry about embarrassing himself trying to formulate anything coherent in his current state of mind. Fairy Godmother would give another speech. Mal would have a few departing words to say for the guests before they left at midnight.</p>
<p>He could get through this.</p>
<p>He could deal with everything else later. He could talk to Jay later.</p>
<p>Right now he needed to focus on not breaking.</p>
<p>It definitely didn't make it easy, though, when Mal, Evie, and Uma's topic of conversation seemed to inevitably fall back onto Harry. That's when Ben realized that yes, this entire situation <em>was</em> just some sick practical joke the universe was playing on him. He was nothing more than a punchline.</p>
<p>They were standing within visual range of the bar, which Ben had his back towards because looking over there and seeing Jay and Harry sitting together only pushed him closer to breaking. It was Mal who first brought up the subject of Evie's most recent projects. Which led to the topic of her proudest designs, and since Harry's suit was the last she had finished, this led to her remarking again on her own pride of her accomplishment of transforming the stubborn pirate into a "regal nobleman". Their words. Although Ben wouldn't exactly disagree, seeing he both thought and said the same thing before.</p>
<p>The girls turned to look at the pirate in which they spoke about. Ben found it difficult to not look over as well, despite his sworn oath to keep his attention <em>off</em> of Harry. As expected when he looked over, he felt the crushing feeling in his heart at the sight.</p>
<p>Harry and Jay, sitting together, laughing over several empty glasses aligned on the table in front of them like trophies. It was so confusing and it felt so unfair. Why? After this entire night of Harry and Jay's bickering. The bitter tension that seemed to drive their interactions. Why were they suddenly now acting like best friends?</p>
<p>Best friends. Harry and Jay were close on the Isle. Harry even briefly mentioned it back at the museum that Jay was one of the friends that helped him get through his father's death. Ben, of course, knew the two of them shared a closer history. It wasn't exactly a secret. But then Jay interrupted their conversation and returned the handkerchief to Harry right in front of him. And Harry... The remark he had made wasn't escaping Ben's mind.</p>
<p>
  <em>'The last thing you gave me before you left me all alone and never came back.'</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>'The last material gift at least.'</em>
</p>
<p>Ben didn't even want to know what Harry meant by that, and even trying to think about it made everything he was feeling so much worse. But also, remaining in this state of not knowing still left him sick and frustrated. And almost defeated.</p>
<p>The girls' joking remarks weren't making it any easier.</p>
<p>"I <em>told</em> Harry it was about time he and Jay kissed and made up already," Mal laughed, shaking her head as she watched the two, "I'm glad he took my advice. Their petty grudges were getting exhausting."</p>
<p>"Right?" Evie scoffed a laugh, "Although I have to say, I was not expecting their reconciliation to happen tonight. Or really any time soon. I thought they'd both remain stubborn about it till the end of time."</p>
<p>Uma shrugged, "I wouldn't get my hopes up. You don't know, they may remember their whole vendetta against each other once the alcohol wears off."</p>
<p>"As much as I hope that's not the case, I wouldn't be surprised."</p>
<p>After the three of them gave a round of chuckles, Mal lifted a finger at the spark of an idea. "I mean, hey, if they aren't still peaceful in a few days, we can always sign them up for couples' therapy."</p>
<p>There was another round of laughter from the three. Ben could only stand there as an outsider, unable to even remotely join in on their Isle-exclusive jokes. He couldn't do so, not only because he lacked the energy to put in the effort in faking amusement over a subject that was causing him so much grief, but because the true context in which they joked was so uncharted to him that he had no idea where the threshold of "joke" even lay. Kiss and make up? Couples' therapy? It was a joke, for sure, but the question plaguing Ben's mind was just how much of it was a joke?</p>
<p>And <em>why</em> was this bothering him so much?</p>
<p>When Jay pulled out the handkerchief and ensnared Ben right in his deceitful tracks, millions of problems had flooded his brain like errors popping up on a computer. Millions of problems. Millions of emergencies that required immediate fixing. And all that his attention remained hung up on was this mysterious, unearthed past of Harry and Jay.</p>
<p>Perhaps this was his brain's way of coping with the crisis he was so suddenly thrown into. If you're caught up on something incredibly minuscule and frivolous and unimportant, then you won't exert ten times more stress on the problems that really matter. Right?</p>
<p>Well, whatever the reason, it still didn't completely distract from the other issues at hand because essentially, they were all connected. Like a cobweb. A cobweb of problems and questions. Ben could fret over Harry and Jay, which would lead to him fretting over the handkerchief.</p>
<p>And there he was again, back to fretting over Harry and Jay. He kept his eyes on them at the bar.</p>
<p>He wondered how long it would be before Harry drunkenly let something slip to Jay. If they were such good friends- if they were so close and shared such a deep past- then Harry would surely feel more obliged to open up to Jay than he would to conceal Ben's secrets. Harry would tell Jay everything and it would only be a matter of time before Jay told Mal everything. And everyone else.</p>
<p>All because of Harry's apparent doting loyalty to Jay.<br/>Ben wanted to end the ball then and there. He wanted to send everyone home. The party was over. He wanted it to be over for everyone just like it had been over for him. He felt an urge to scream it out. To knock another spoon against another champagne glass and demand everyone to leave so he could go up to his room and curl up and die. But he only closed his eyes tightly and silently reminded himself that the ball was almost over and that he could make it.</p>
<p>He just had to hold out a little bit longer. Pretend a little bit longer. Even if every second of pretending added to the castle of pain that was crushing him. There would be more bricks piling atop him and further into the ground he would go.</p>
<p>So he found himself stuck on the sidelines of his own party, wandering around the ballroom like a freshly awoken spirit that none of these living beings around him could help, much less see. He felt aimless, but desperate at the same time. Yearning for something he didn't know how to ask for. He couldn't piece together the question the deep, uninhabited part of his mind wanted to ask.</p>
<p>Then, suddenly, he felt a twitch of clarity. Like a cog in a machine beginning to turn after being idle and rusted over for a year. His eyes found Carlos standing among the lingering, chattering crowd. He looked unabsorbed in any conversation. Unoccupied, and standing about almost mindlessly, but comfortably. Unlike Ben who was mindless and riddled with discomfort. Carlos was secure in his aimless lingering. Content. And he looked more than welcoming for a conversation despite Jane at his side talking away.</p>
<p>Ben's thoughts flicked over everything in a flash and with his next short breath, he felt an inhalation of hope. He moved swiftly over to Carlos, letting the hope trickle through his body and calm him into a more casual poise.</p>
<p>"Hey, Carlos," He said once he reached them. "Hey, Jane."</p>
<p>They both looked up from their conversation, possibly surprised to see Ben seeking conversation without the company of Mal or any of the other friends. Not that Ben speaking to them alone was weird in any way, it had just seemed like in the last few years, the only time Ben ever interacted with Carlos or Jane was either with the rest of the group present, or for business reasons. Huh, maybe it was kind of shitty that instead of taking the opportunity to change that by seeking a genuine, personal conversation with Carlos, he was looking for clarification of his own problem. Well... He had plenty of time to feel guilty about that later.</p>
<p>"Hey, Ben!" They both greeted together. Ben returned their polite smiles and cleared his throat to speak before his awkward hesitation showed. He smiled at Jane.</p>
<p>"This ball has been great so far, I'm sad it's almost over," he lied, "You did a great job with everything, Jane."</p>
<p>"Oh, thank you!" Jane beamed, "Yeah, I'm so relieved everything worked out perfectly."</p>
<p>Ben nodded, wondering if she was holding any bitterness toward his impromptu speech from before. He was happy she didn't bring it up. <br/>Jane continued, "Hopefully it stays smooth until everyone leaves. I don't know if I can handle a sudden crisis within this next hour." Ben offered her a sympathetic chuckle, but internally, he was itching with jealousy to be in her shoes. Crisis-free. How peaceful of a feeling that must be. He looked off toward the stage-area of the ballroom, where Jane's mother would be giving her parting speech in a bit. A small piece of him regretted having to ask this, but he was desperate to speak to Carlos alone.</p>
<p>"Yeah, well, speaking of keeping things on track, have you seen your mom? I know she's going to speak soon, I just wanted to let her know to check the microphone before she does. It seemed a bit finicky when I was speaking."</p>
<p>"<em>What</em>?" Jane's attention shot toward the stage. Panic began to set in as Ben expected from her tendency to overreact to small situations.</p>
<p>"I mean, it could be fine. I'd just hate for it to go out while she was talking."</p>
<p>"Ugh! Okay. I'll take care of this," She looked between Carlos and Ben with one quick motion and said, "I'll go find her right now," before she sped off frantically searching for Fairy Godmother. Ben watched her rush away before casually turning to Carlos.</p>
<p>He had time to feel guilty about <em>that</em> later as well.<br/>Carlos sighed as he watched his girlfriend disappear, most likely used to her consistent prioritization of event planning.</p>
<p>"Uh, sorry about that," Ben said, attempting to mask the awkwardness in his voice.</p>
<p>"It's okay," Carlos shrugged, "I'd rather her stress out and fix it now, than later after it all goes wrong."</p>
<p>"Yeah..." Ben said. There was a moment of silence for which Ben urgently searched for words to fill. "So, I know you said you're pretty stressed about your exam coming up... Have you at least been able to relax and enjoy the ball tonight?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, of course!" Carlos answered a bit too enthusiastically, "It's great to force yourself to have time off to be with your friends for a night..."</p>
<p>Carlos carried on speaking about his methods of suppressing the stress of classes. Ben was trying to listen, but his mind was too focused on how he was going to go about bringing up the topic he intended to speak about. He didn't have a lot of time before Jane got back so he wanted to get to it quickly, but he knew blatantly asking Carlos about Jay and Harry was going to bring up suspicion. Even more suspicion than he was currently dealing with. So he had to get a bit creative to work the conversation to where he wanted it.</p>
<p>Ben's attention sparked when it was Carlos who inevitably brought up Jay. It was an opening in which he jumped at.</p>
<p>"...so I mean the studying and everything isn't the worst. It's a lot, but it's getting manageable. I mean, before when I first started it was incredibly difficult managing it all, especially having Jay as a roommate..."</p>
<p>Ben interjected, careful for it to not sound like an eager interruption, and said, "Oh yeah, I bet having a best friend as a roommate might make focusing a bit difficult." Since Jay was brought into the discussion, he was keen on keeping him there.</p>
<p>"For sure," Carlos laughed, scoffing as if Ben could relate to the issue, "Like I said, it's getting easier, but when we first moved and I started classes, he was like... <em>insistent</em> on distracting me. Bringing all our friends over all the time. Playing video games. Constantly annoying me just for the fun of it. You know..."</p>
<p>Ben laughed sympathetically, "But it's better now?"</p>
<p>"Yes, thankfully. Although it took a few failed tests for me to set strict boundaries about him distracting me."</p>
<p>"Ha, yeah well... what are friends for, right?"</p>
<p>Carlos hummed a laugh and shrugged, "I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to room with him. Until recently, Jay <em>always</em> prioritized fun over work. Even back on the Isle- well, <em>especially</em> back on the Isle."</p>
<p>"Oh?" Ben noted. He felt the conversation getting warmer to where he wanted it. He suddenly had an idea of just how to steer it there. "Did you room with him on the Isle?"</p>
<p>"No, but we hung out enough that it sometimes felt like it."</p>
<p>"Ah..." Ben nodded, toying with ways to word his response, "Yeah, you know, it's actually funny... as much as Mal has told me about the four of you guys and your friendship back on the Isle, I still feel like there's a whole lot that I don't know."</p>
<p>"Like what?"</p>
<p>Ben pretended to think. "Like, for example, the gang rivalry. Between you guys and Uma's gang. From everything Mal has said before, it seemed like a pretty strict rivalry."</p>
<p>"Yeah, it was," Carlos answered, so far, sensing no problem with the question, "Well, between Uma and Mal, mostly."</p>
<p>This sparked Ben's interest. The conversation was getting warmer, apparently. He tilted his head curiously and asked half-jokingly, "Oh. So the rest of you didn't hate each other?"</p>
<p>"<em>Hate</em>? No. We really didn't hate each other. We fought them, though, and I guess had some level of resentment naturally, since we followed Mal and Uma's crew followed Uma."</p>
<p>"So you guys weren't ever really allowed to be... friends?" Ben prodded gently.</p>
<p>Carlos chuckled, "Mal would have been pissed if she found any of us hanging out with Uma. We would pretty much be out of the gang if that happened."</p>
<p>Ben tried to match Carlos' chuckle before saying, "Really? I guess I was under the impression that some of you were friends at one point."</p>
<p>"Well, Mal and Uma were friends before they started to hate each other. And then, of course, there was Harry and Jay... but they're a different story..."</p>
<p>Bingo. Ben shifted with a wave of fulfilled anticipation. "What do you mean?"</p>
<p>"They were always close, even before our gangs formed. Neither Mal or Uma could really... split them up. Out of respect," Carlos shrugged again to add, "And because asking them to cut ties for the sake of a gang rivalry would probably just cause them to leave the gangs altogether. It would've just disrupted everything. So their thing became sort of an unspoken ordeal. I mean, it never really became a problem, so we were all fine in accepting it."</p>
<p>Ben listened intently. Carlos was being quite vague in how he referred to Jay and Harry's "thing". Ben nodded, faking a sudden curiosity. "Oh, that's interesting. I never would have guessed they had been close. If anything, they seem like they had more rivalry than the rest of you."</p>
<p>A wariness suddenly washed over Carlos' face. A hesitation, almost. But he chuckled awkwardly and responded.</p>
<p>"Yeah. I mean... They didn't part on the best terms." He still seemed hesitant to go on. "Jay leaving threw a pretty big wrench in their friendship. But even then, it's not like they hate each other. Well, at least <em>Jay</em> doesn't hate <em>Harry</em>. I can't speak for Harry, but from what little I know about him, I doubt he hates Jay either. Although, I'm positive most of the hostility between them comes from Harry."</p>
<p>Ben was slightly assured by Carlos' use of the word "friendship", but he had said it with such a strange emphasis that it wasn't as clarifying as Ben hoped. Carlos obviously knew a lot more than he was letting on, which only added to Ben's desire to learn what he could.</p>
<p>Ben shoved his hands in his pockets, still trying to mask the real level of his curiosity, and asked, "How so?"</p>
<p>Carlos remained quiet for a second and he looked around once before saying, "Well. As much as I love the guy, I don't think Jay was the most... <em>considerate</em> in how he went about leaving. I'm not taking sides. Jay is obviously my best friend, and I don't know Harry that well, but I feel like Jay didn't really make much of an effort in parting on good terms. He was pretty apathetic about it all when he left." Carlos shrugged again, "So I think Harry being more hostile makes sense."</p>
<p>Ben was still itching to get closer to the answer he needed. Carlos still wasn't revealing what he wanted, so he decided to inch closer to the specificity of it, by carefully asking, "Because... Harry was more emotionally <em>involved</em> in the relationship?" Carlos would either correct his use of the word "relationship", which would mean there hadn't been anything there, or he would agree, which would confirm Ben's deeper assumption.</p>
<p>But Carlos ignored the term entirely in his response. He said, "Because Jay helped Harry a lot when his father died. So Jay meant a lot to him. For him to up and leave without even trying to reach out to him, must have been really hard."</p>
<p>And suddenly, the question of what exactly went on between Harry and Jay did not matter. It didn't matter at all. And Ben felt a horrible wave of guilt crash into him.</p>
<p>What the hell was wrong with him?</p>
<p>Harry had confided in Ben about his father's passing just an hour before. There was so much pain in Harry as he spoke. He had even said Jay had helped him get through it. They were close. Of course they were. And of course that's <em>why</em> they were.</p>
<p>The raging question of what went on between them had stupidly been at the top of his mind, and Ben let the question lead the choir of all his other troubles, to the point of treating Harry like shit after Jay pulled out the handkerchief. Ben had ignored Harry entirely, as if his insecurity about the issue mattered more than calmly trying to understand and handle the situation like an adult.</p>
<p>Jay was there for Harry through his father's death. Meanwhile, Ben put his own anxiety ahead of everything and ignored Harry out of pettiness. <em>After</em> Harry opened up to him about his father's death.<br/>Granted, opening up to Ben had nothing to do with Ben ignoring him, but still, the thought of treating him like crap after such an honest conversation made him sick with guilt.</p>
<p><em>Fuck</em>.</p>
<p>"Like I said, I'm not taking sides. I always preferred to stay out of their thing anyway. That's just my two cents."</p>
<p>Ben wasn't listening to Carlos much anymore. He couldn't get the guilt out of his mind. His chest was aching now. Although he wasn't paying much attention, he decided to remain with Carlos until Jane came back. The subject had switched- for the best- and while Carlos talked about casual, common topics, Ben was reprimanding himself internally. The only thing now on his mind was finding Harry and apologizing. Nothing else really mattered.</p>
<p>As soon as Jane came back, Ben recited the formalities of properly excusing himself out of the conversation before he frantically made his way to the bar. Even if Jay was still there with him, he <em>had</em> to apologize. He had to at least attempt to rekindle the peace between them.</p>
<p>The anticipation built inside him as he recited everything he was going to say. Everything he was going to explain. Even if Harry was wasted at this point and would hear only a fourth of it, he had to lay it all out. Ben let the anticipation build until the bar came into sight, where in a single instant, the hope dropped.</p>
<p>Harry and Jay were no longer there.</p>
<p>Ben scanned around quickly, but among the lingering crowd of people, he didn't spot the luxurious red suit. He did, however spot the shimmering turquoise dress of Uma still standing where her, Mal, and Evie had been before. Although Mal had been replaced with Doug and it was now Uma, Doug, and Evie. Maybe that was for the better, since he really didn't want to answer any question from Mal about this right now. He quickly made his way over to Uma with the insistence of finding Harry in his mind overpowering his will to remain as unsuspecting as possible.</p>
<p>"Hey, Uma," Ben said once he reached her, "Have you seen Harry or Jay?" Although it wasn't inherently a suspicious question, he still felt the need to casually add "or Jay" to take away from the prominence of <em>Harry</em>.</p>
<p>Uma turned to meet Ben and instead of growing a look of curiosity, she grew a look of impatience. "Funny you should ask," she said with no trace of actual humor, "A few minutes ago Jay came over to tell me Harry had a bit too much to drink. He said he was going to help him up to one of the guests rooms."</p>
<p>"Oh..." Ben settled into a disappointment, "Do you know which room? I can send someone to bring him water or something?"</p>
<p>"Honestly, I have no idea," Uma rolled her eyes, "Jay was pretty wasted too so I don't even know if they <em>made</em> it to a room, much less <em>upstairs</em>."</p>
<p>Ben was silent, thinking over her words. He couldn't go the rest of the night without saying something to Harry.</p>
<p>Uma looked over at one of the side doors of the ballroom and continued, "I probably shouldn't leave him in the care of someone only slightly less drunk than him, but honestly, I've had it up to here with that boy," She gestured roughly above her head to illustrate, "Plus, Jay has my number if he needs something. So I'm going to spend the rest of this party responsibility-free."</p>
<p>Ben knew his father would blow up if he left the ball for a second time after getting reprimanded for the first time. But if he didn't at least try to talk to Harry, he'd be stricken with misery to the point where he couldn't fake it anymore. He couldn't get to that point.</p>
<p>"Okay," He nodded to Uma, "Thanks."</p>
<p>Uma turned back to Evie. Meanwhile, Ben turned toward the side door by the bar. He'd grab a pitcher of water for him as a peace offering so that, if he couldn't have a full conversation with Harry, he could at least make sure he was physically okay. <br/>He could make sure Harry knew he wasn't angry with him. He could make sure Harry knew he cared about him.</p>
<p>And that he was sorry.</p>
<p>With a breath of self-assurance, Ben made his way to the exit door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b> <em>~</em> </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Fuck! Fuu-hahaha" Harry seethed a laugh as he regained himself after smacking the right side of his body into the doorframe he was passing.</p>
<p>"Dude, be <em>care</em>ful!" Jay fussed, laughing at the pirate as he struggled to follow him through the door of the castle's guest room. In his attempt to stabilize his body, Harry swayed too far to the left, hitting the left side of the door frame as well. He couldn't stop laughing at his own struggle. His head bobbed, his eyelids drooped, and his eyes took several seconds to blink fully. He felt Jay's hands wrap around his shoulder again to assist. Harry welcomed the hands, although he knew with enough concentration, he didn't <em>need</em> Jay's help to walk the several more steps into the room. Not like he had needed it half the trek up there.</p>
<p>"Oh pissss<em>off</em>," Harry fussed back, taking a step and allowing his weight to shift into Jay. Jay, apparently had not fully prepared for Harry's weight and so the two went stumbling into the room, stopped only by Jay grasping for support on the nearby dresser so they didn't go tumbling to the ground. In his sluggish, desperate attempt to remain on their feet, Jay's grasping hand pushed over a lamp and a small decorative plant which made loud clunking noises as they made contact with the dresser's surface. Jay's reflexes were conscious enough to fumble the lamp back into its upright position. Meanwhile, the two of them were cackling as they worked to straighten themselves.</p>
<p>"Fuck!" It was Jay's turn to swear at his own clumsiness. Harry pushed himself off of Jay's body and turned to examine the rest of the room once he was standing.</p>
<p>"Dear... God. Thiss's a <em>guest</em> room?" He remarked. Although blurred, Harry could see the room was much larger and far more luxurious than any room he stepped foot in before. He looked at the queen-sized, plush bed he'd be passing out in tonight, and he was overcome with a longing to be in it already.</p>
<p>"Uh-huh," Jay nodded, "One of the many perks've livingin Auradon is the actual... proper housssing."</p>
<p>"Awww Jay," Harry's head lopped over to the side, "Areya' tryin'ta convince me to move to Auradon?"</p>
<p>"I don't know where you got that idea from," Jay said in a low voice.</p>
<p>"Oh come <em>on.</em> You're obviously remembering just how much <em>fun</em> it isswhen I'mmaround."</p>
<p>Jay snickered, "Fun? Theresssnothing <em>fun</em> about ordering every drink on the menu just to make me pay for <em>all of it</em> later."</p>
<p>"Well then, Jayyy. You shouldn't've taken away me <em>wallet</em>!"</p>
<p>"Chad's wallet."</p>
<p>"What<em>ever</em>!" Harry griped, then he grabbed at the black silk tie around his neck, "Help me take this damned thing off. Im suffocating, I swear!"</p>
<p>Jay went back to laughing at the poor, struggling soul. He reached for Harry's tie and loosened it for him. The mere touch of Jay working the tie off of him was just barely enough for Harry to lose balance, which he took a step behind him to regain. The room spun and he embraced every aspect of the intoxication. He loved it. He loved the way it felt. To be light and so carefree. There was no reason to think.</p>
<p>Jay slipped the tie over his neck and placed it on the dresser beside the lamp he had knocked over. Harry's hand ran along the back of his neck with the sense of release from the pressure. He blinked heavily again and felt another wave of bubbling laughter energizing his body.</p>
<p>"What a shame," Jay muttered. "You actually looked quite respectable in that tie."</p>
<p>"Ohhhh?" Harry raised both his eyebrows, sucking in every bit of a compliment as he could from those words. "I bet you were quite <em>astounded</em> to see me walk through the doors like this?" Harry held out his arms to the side to gesture to the rest of his attire.</p>
<p>Jay rolled his eyes, "I mean, it wass<em>astounding</em> to see you walk through the doors at all. And <em>not</em> a ragged mess like you usually are."</p>
<p>Harry swayed closer to him slowly, saying, "Oh come on, Jay," and when he was merely an inch from his chest, he brought his fingers up to brush the tips lightly along the curve of Jay's jawline. "I know you couldn't keep this handsome jaw of yours off the floor."</p>
<p>There was a flicker in Jay's expression, but before Harry could marvel in it, it fell into his typical state of annoyance. Jay grabbed Harry's wrist just before his fingers made it to his chin, and he pushed his hand several inches away from his face. He had a stern look that said 'knock it off' and Harry fully expected some version of scolding for the gesture.</p>
<p>Jay only shook his head, narrowed eyes on the pirate, and said, "You're flattering yourself <em>again</em>." He dropped Harry's hand and Harry couldn't help but continue to laugh. He retreated from Jay by taking a step backwards, which didn't go as planned once he felt the room spin again, making his step miscalculated. He felt his body swaying too far in the wrong direction and he was stumbling again. Jay's hands were back on him, grasping to keep Harry upright. The two struggled before succeeding and going back to laughing at themselves.</p>
<p>Harry held onto Jay's shoulders, grinning and singing, "You're not denyyyiiiing it thouughhh, Jaaayyyy."</p>
<p>Jay stared into Harry's eyes, squinting with an unsettling amount of sincerity that Harry was far from used to seeing. He placed his hand on the side of Harry's face and sighed, "Oh, Harry..." He shook his head and gave a pout of disappointment, "...You're <em>very</em> drunk right now." And all of the sincerity immediately slipped away as soon as Harry realized he was completely fucking with him.</p>
<p>Harry scoffed and pushed Jay away, "And yerrrr such an asshole!"</p>
<p>Jay was chuckling, standing back upright, "And why'sssthat? Because I don't play into your little games?"</p>
<p>"<em>I'm</em>not the one that plays games, here," Harry's finger swung in a playful accusation at Jay, "That's <em>yer</em> territory."</p>
<p>"I don't play games, Harry," Jay argued as Harry turned away from him to focus on sliding off his suit jacket, "I think you jusst have a tendency to intentionally misinterpret everything I do or ssay to appeal to whateveritiss you want."</p>
<p>"<em>Misinterpret</em>?" Harry laughed harshly, spinning back around to face him. "Wow, you really are a cruel bastard."</p>
<p>"<em>Intentionally</em> misinterpret," Jay corrected.</p>
<p>"Right." Harry had no motivation to fight Jay on this. He didn't really care enough to, either. He took off his suit jacket and tossed it on the foot of the bed. He felt an exhaustion fall from his head to his ankles. It came over him like fluttering shivers and before he lost balance again, he faltered to the bed and twisted around to sit beside the jacket. Sinking into the bed felt like sitting on a cloud. It was blissful. Eagerly, his hands moved to the buttons of his vest.</p>
<p>His fingers worked lazily on the tight, awkward buttons and his spinning eyesight and dexterity made it difficult to work them off. Jay had apparently grown frustrated watching him fumble with the buttons and moved over to him, chuckling.</p>
<p>"Here," He offered, shoving Harry's fingers to the side and replacing them with his own. It wasn't like his fingers worked that much better, but they managed to unbutton slightly more efficiently.</p>
<p>"Careful there, Jay," Harry mocked, "I'd hate to misinterpret you unbuttoning me clothes in any way."</p>
<p>"Fuck off," Jay griped, but Harry could see him grinning.</p>
<p>Harry hummed in thought before saying, "I think yer motives would be a lot more clear ifya took it off withyer teeth instead, yknow?"</p>
<p>Jay immediately snorted a laugh. "Oh, really?" He humored without taking his attention off the buttons.</p>
<p>"Mmmmaybe not," Harry shrugged, "But it'd be <em>quite</em> sexy of you."</p>
<p>Jay rolled his eyes before managing to unfasten the last button, standing up, and limping back to watch as Harry removed the vest himself. Once it was off, Harry placed it over the jacket. He was left sitting in his red pants and black dress shirt, which he tugged at the collar to ungracefully unbutton as well, relaxing the strain on his neck. He sighed in relief at the liberation of his formal-fitting clothes and leaned back on his hands, turning his attention onto Jay again.</p>
<p>It was so strange seeing Jay in front of him like this. It was like he was thrown back in time, before everything between them went down the drain. It was like he was living in a memory. A dream-version of a memory. A piece of his past pulled apart, grounded up, and reshaped into the scene around him.</p>
<p>It was kind of bitter in a way. Sure, he and Jay ended up having a great time at the bar and got to reminisce on the old days at the Isle (very diligently <em>not</em> bringing up Jay leaving callously any more than a petty joke from Harry here and there), but even with the opportunity of rekindling their friendship dangling in front of him, there was too much of a disassociation between them. Like miles of distance that would never be closed. Or a deep scar that would never heal the same. It wasn't even sad.</p>
<p>It was just a bit bitter.</p>
<p>Almost tasteless.</p>
<p>Maybe if things were a bit different, Harry would feel more of a desire to try and mend it. Getting wasted and laughing together was a start, but even though it felt good and was certainly a step away from their usual animosity, it still didn't feel completely right. This didn't feel like them trying to work through things for the benefit of a newfound friendship. It felt like a distraction. A one-time reunion because, for the first time in his life, Harry craved the company of someone who understood him on a deeper level. Ben had worked Harry's feelings up the entire night- working him to the point where he was thriving off the intimate company- just to step away and leave Harry deprived of it. Missing it.</p>
<p>Needing it.</p>
<p>So of course when Jay came along, it was more so about satiating that deprivation rather than working to actually mend something long-term with him.</p>
<p>As for Jay, he was probably just thinking "Why not?". Maybe he was finally feeling guilty for doing the same to Harry years ago. Maybe he felt obligated to humor Harry right now because of it. Maybe he was in this to satiate the same kind of intimate deprivation he had in Gil's absence. Whatever it was, Harry had a difficult time imagining Jay had given in and drank with him to mend something for the long-term benefit, either.</p>
<p>Right now, Harry wasn't focusing on any of that. He was focusing on Jay. Just Jay. Setting the pain from earlier aside, he felt a twirling euphoria being in this room, drunk out of his mind with an old friend. He felt a craving for things to be perfect. Even if they weren't and wouldn't be, in any sense of the word, a temporary fix of more euphoria was enough for it to feel so.</p>
<p>"So tell me, Jay," He found the words slithering out of his mouth, "Just <em>how much</em> have I misinterpreted?"</p>
<p>Jay appeared confused by the question. Not exactly surprised, but curious. He shifted his weight to the other foot and folded his arms in front of his chest. His eyes squinted in a dangerously inquisitive manner. Even a simple shift of his demeanor could invoke some form of dangerous enchantment. Even if it wasn't inherently threatening or opposing; there was just something to his form and the way he stared that always sparked some level of tension.</p>
<p>Maybe that's why Harry always enjoyed provoking Jay at any given chance.</p>
<p>That tension he evoked was quite thrilling.</p>
<p>"What do you mean?"</p>
<p>"Hmm," Harry hummed, "Well... Issit a misinterpretation to think you were actually enjoying yerself at th'bar with me just now?"</p>
<p>The question made Jay relax slightly. His drunk body swayed and he looked off at one of the upper corners of the room. He gave a laugh that sounded more like a breath of relief. "No," he said, and offered Harry a minuscule grin, "I can admit to having a good time."</p>
<p>Harry's eyes scanned down Jay's body. He let his attention linger on his torso, admiring the darkly hypnotic shift of the deep yellows and blues of his suit jacket. The slick material flaring like magic and begging to be felt. He hadn't had the chance to actually explore the way Jay looked tonight. It hadn't even crossed his mind until now, sitting on the bed in front of him. It never really mattered what Jay wore, he always seemed to be composed in the same refined manner. Even on the Isle, in Aruadon hand-me-downs. He was always visually dignified, which made it easier to overlook the moments when he was dressed in such exquisite, formal attire.</p>
<p>Jay belonged in a suit, Harry realized. He truly did.</p>
<p>He enjoyed the way it tapered from his broad shoulders to his waist. The way the material hugged his biceps. The way his black, lavish pants shaped his legs down to his ankles. If he hadn't had the opportunity to admire his appearance before, he was glad he did now.</p>
<p>Harry's gaze left Jay's body and found his eyes again. The muscles on Jay's brow tensed slightly when he no doubt took note of Harry's exploring eyes. Harry let the corner of his lips rise before speaking.</p>
<p>"And, judging by how easy it was to convince ya' to drink with me, I assume part of ya' <em>wasss</em> sort of craving a chance to let go and be a bit irresponsible fer a night?" Harry tilted his head, keeping his eyes sharp on Jay. "Or's <em>that</em> jussst a misinterpretation?"</p>
<p>This question took longer for Jay to answer. He didn't appear to be thinking about his response; he just fell into a few more seconds of staring at Harry with trifling skepticism. Finally, his eyebrows raised in humor. He huffed another laugh again and let his lips fall into a half-smile.</p>
<p>"I guess... it's not."</p>
<p>Harry felt a beat of relief pump through him at the response. He didn't doubt that Jay had some desire to set aside his dulling responsibilities, he had just doubted Jay's ability to admit it. And he was very glad he admitted it.</p>
<p>"Well that's reassuring to hear," Harry teased, "I'm glad th'goodness of Auradon hasn't <em>completely</em> indoctrinated you."</p>
<p>"Ofcourse you think discovering better civic principles is <em>indoctrination</em>."</p>
<p>"Ha. Wow," Harry snorted a laugh, letting his eyes run up and down Jay's body again, "I can't tell if your patronizing choice of words makes you more attractive or not."</p>
<p>Jay didn't respond, but he was still holding onto his half-smile. Harry could see his shoulders rolling back just enough that it portrayed a quick taste of his arrogance. It was unsavory, but then again, so was the taste of whiskey.</p>
<p>And Harry very much enjoyed drinking <em>that</em> up.</p>
<p>Harry slid off the end of the bed to clumsily stand again in front of Jay. His shoulders fell into a lopsided angle, but he managed to straighten himself to where he stood taller over Jay. Jay didn't tense in the slightest.</p>
<p>"I don't buy for a second that you really are that much of a changed man."</p>
<p>Again, Jay wasn't budging as he held his stare on Harry. Jay raised an eyebrow, growing a smug look to supplement his arrogant posture.</p>
<p>"And you can tell that from the one hour at the bar with me?" Jay asked.</p>
<p>"One hour at the bar, plus an entire night of catchin' yer eyes allover me."</p>
<p>Jay quickly scoffed, "Yeah... <em>someone</em> had to make sure you weren't causing trouble." Harry didn't change his demeanor despite Jay's disclaimer.</p>
<p>"So nice of ya' to volunteer yerself," Harry chuckled in a whisper, which turned into another spell of bubbly, drunk laughter. The lightness in his head convinced his body to sway closer to Jay. Jay, whose drunken expression made his short snicker look dazed, lazily pushed Harry back without much force.</p>
<p>"God, I hate you," he complained, a sourness fusing with the humor of his words.</p>
<p>Harry regained his balance fairly easily, just to rock back into Jay, this time, closer.</p>
<p>"Mmmmhmhm," Harry chuckled with half-closed eyes."You can hate me all you want, Jay." His voice lowered into velvet words as he leaned in an inch closer. "But you can't say you don't miss me." Jay didn't retreat at Harry's advance, nor did he push him back again. Harry's fingertip's found themselves back at the curve of Jay's jaw. The lust for euphoria, induced by the alcohol, made Harry's movements unquestionable. Desire controlled his body rather than thought. He didn't want to think.</p>
<p>What was there to think about?</p>
<p>Harry leaned in closer, breathing in Jay's cologne. "Or at least, miss <em>some</em> of me."</p>
<p>Jay's snicker didn't exactly disappear, but it did stagger. The smug presence was still very much there. Whether or not he'd eventually reject the provocative gestures was hard for Harry to tell, but it was clear he was enjoying the toying. He always did, in a way.</p>
<p>And that was enough to convince Harry he wasn't totally wrong.</p>
<p>"Honestly," Harry continued, focusing on nothing else except the scent of his cologne and the subtle dancing in his absorbed gaze, "I think there's a lot more that you miss." Harry's tongue slurred on the "s", dragging it out in an unintentionally smooth manner. His fingers toured the side of Jay's face, over and behind his ear. Down the back of his neck.</p>
<p>"I think you miss what it feels like to do whatever you want," Harry taunted. His fingers slithered from the base of his neck around to the front and down his collarbone. He whispered, "To take whatever you want..."</p>
<p>He felt Jay's body stiffen ever so slightly. His breath was audible.</p>
<p>Harry's fingers moved from Jay's collarbone, up his tie, and to the collar of his dress shirt. "I don't think you'd still be up here with me right now, if you didn't miss it a little." He continued his taunt with a light grin. He stepped in closer to Jay and his fingers left his collar and travelled with delicacy down the lapel of his suit. His hands met at the first button of his jacket, where he watched his own thumbs toy with its design.</p>
<p>"Or is that a misinterpretation?"</p>
<p>A longer breath escaped Jay's lips. Harry looked back into Jay's eyes, expecting some form of forbiddance, but there was none there. His leering appeared almost sober and hardened with his own tangled desires. The irresistibility was just behind his eyes.</p>
<p>Harry gave him another few seconds before he leaned in further, his chin merely centimeters to the side of Jay's, and he whispered, "If you ask me, Jay..." He allowed the rest of his body closer as well, brushing against him, "I don't think I've misinterpreted a goddamn thing."</p>
<p>Jay's hand shot up to Harry's jaw, his fingers clutching around his chin, stopping Harry's advances entirely. Harry, only half-startled by the action, expected to be pushed away again, but Jay only held him there. His eyes adamant on Harry. The air around them was halted and Harry was breathless.</p>
<p>Jay breathed in and his exhale was as stern as his voice when he growled:</p>
<p>"Do you <em>ever</em> stop talking?"</p>
<p>The stillness of the air was then broken by a nimble, inviting chuckle that escaped Harry's throat. And that simple break in the air shattered the game between them.</p>
<p>Jay's fingers pulled Harry's chin down with haste, directing his mouth to meet his own. Harry found his breath suddenly being sucked out of him as his body replaced his oxygen with an ignition of flames of energy. His chest lurched forward as Jay's lips pushed into his.</p>
<p>The fingers that were toying with the button of Jay's suit were now working recklessly to unfasten them. The flames inside of him burned clarity into his movements as he managed to work the jacket off much more efficiently than he had his own.</p>
<p>Harry's mind slipped away while the hunger for euphoria in his body took over. He embraced the smell and taste of whiskey still burning on Jay's tongue. He welcomed the firm grip Jay still had on his chin as well as the grip his other hand had, now tugging on his waist. Pulling him closer. Fingertips digging into his skin painfully.</p>
<p>The force in his hands and torso directed the two of them closer to the bed beside them and Harry's body was more than willing to comply. He moved with Jay's direction, the edge of the mattress met the back of his legs, forcing his knees to buckle so the rest of his body fell willingly onto the bed. Their mouths didn't part, even as Jay shuffled onto the bed beside him. His lips were working in a forceful rhythm that left Harry no choice but to give in and match. The intensity of it was overwhelming, but it wasn't exactly foreign to Harry. Every push of his lips, every skillful coax of his tongue, and every bite from his teeth filled Harry with recognition. A recognition of the body he hadn't felt and the person he hadn't seen in years. The body that was here and the person that was not.</p>
<p>With that recognition, came another wave of aching in his chest, which Harry welcomed just to channel further into his lust. His hands worked quicker on Jay's clothes and Jay fought alongside Harry to shed his own layers.</p>
<p>The suit jacket met the floor.</p>
<p>His vest was quick to join it.</p>
<p>Sparks pulsated through Harry's chest as every emotion he had felt the entire night clashed together inside of him, screaming so loud that it invigorated the passion within him to a dangerous level. He was completely mindless as he pushed Jay further back to the center of the bed and climbed atop him. Jay welcomed Harry onto his lap, his hands leaving the back of Harry's neck and traveling down his backside to greet the thighs that were now wrapped around his waist. While Jay's hands were busy stroking every inch of Harry's silk pants, Harry worked on opening the last layer of Jay's suit until his bare chest was finally exhibited for Harry's eyes and hands to worship.</p>
<p>Harry broke his mouth away to engulf the oxygen that Jay's lips had been robbing from him. He panted breathlessly, shifting his energy from his sore mouth to his hips. A different surge of sparks pulsed within him as he began to grind himself against the now-hard front of Jay's pants. His body was keening as he listened to the erotic moans escaping Jay's mouth from the friction. Sharp pains of Jay's thumbs digging fiercely into the bones of Harry's hips only added to the sparks of pleasure.</p>
<p>Harry sucked in another breath before he grabbed the base of Jay's tie and pulled him back onto his lips. The euphoria was exactly where Harry had wanted it. High like a drug. Overwhelming like a thousand voices shouting at once. He wanted to sense nothing in the world except the body underneath him and the pleasure he'd receive from exploring it.</p>
<p>He pressed his chest forward, guiding Jay to lay back to where he was now entirely underneath Harry's body. Harry continued to grind against him as his lips left Jay's and moved onto his collarbone. His teeth grazed his skin as his lips travelled with a heavy, sensual pressure to his sternum, then back to his neck.</p>
<p>"I take back what I said," Harry panted with a provoking grin, "I guess you are a changed man."</p>
<p>Jay sighed into the sensation of Harry's breath on his neck. "Is that so?" He managed between breaths of fatigue.</p>
<p>"Uh-huh," Harry chuckled, pushing his hips further down on Jay, "You're far easier to rile up now." Jay immediately shot him a sharp glare through the gloss of his ecstasy. Harry laughed, willfully ignoring the warning in Jay's eyes. He bent down again, working his mouth around his neck and collarbone and chest, basking in the sounds of bliss that escaped Jay's mouth in moans. "Have you been depriving yerself, Jay?" Harry continued to taunt, "I don't think I've seen you so lively since-"</p>
<p>"God, just shut up already, Harry," Jay snapped, grinding his own hips between Harry's thighs, "You talk too fucking much."</p>
<p>When Harry's lips reached the center of Jay's chest, he picked his head up and smiled.</p>
<p>"My pleasure," He purred before working his mouth down Jay's torso in a purposefully slow, teasing manner. He climbed down Jay's body, his tongue tasting the sweat from his skin the entire way until his lips lingered on the lower part of his stomach, just above the belt of his pants. Jay's hands came to Harry's head, his fingers sliding through his hair as Harry unbuckled his belt and unfastened his pants.</p>
<p>Harry was filled to the brim with lust. His blood was pumping desire through his veins so hard he thought he was going to explode. The intoxication made it so easy, made it so much more pleasurable, to focus entirely on the act of releasing Jay from his pants and taking him into his mouth with every ounce of his desire.</p>
<p>He felt nothing but pure euphoria.</p>
<p>He didn't even have a few seconds to savor it before a crashing noise exploded from within the room and the hands snaking around Harry's head were abruptly shoving him off.</p>
<p>"<em>Fuck</em>, dude!" he heard Jay's voice directed toward the door. The disorientation from the crashing sound and being shoved had Harry stunned and twisting around to see where Jay was shouting toward.</p>
<p>Immediately, Harry's heart lurched forward at the sight of a figure at the door. It didn't take much longer for his blurred vision to piece together the details of who exactly it was. That's when the thumping of his heart- excited by the sudden dread of being caught in such an act- turned into his heart completely sinking from it being <em>Ben</em> standing there.</p>
<p>"God- I-" Ben stammered, eyes widened and glued to the two of them on the bed, "I- I'm sorry, I-"</p>
<p>Every drop of emotion that had just been buzzing with euphoria twisted into a painful sense of agony. Just like that, the lust melted into a sickness.</p>
<p>"Ben," Harry heard his own voice mutter, but Ben was gone from the door.</p>
<p>Harry gave one look at Jay, who was in the midst of frantically pulling up his pants and buttoning his shirt again, before throwing himself off the bed and stumbling towards the door. He caught sight of a pitcher of water that lay fallen to the ground just at the door, which Harry briefly identified as the culprit of the crashing sound. He leapt over the spilled puddle of water, and stumbled into the hallway.</p>
<p>"Ben!" He called again. His heart racing frantically.</p>
<p>Ben turned around, his body stiff and face as pale as someone who'd seen a ghost. Harry faltered toward him, holding onto the wall from his inability to maintain his own balance. The intoxication had crashed over him from the sudden act of standing and he was quickly realizing he was in no shape- physical or mental- to be attempting such an act.</p>
<p>"Ben, Ben..." Harry was shaking his head, "Hey.. Ben I'm-.. I-'m... so sorry. I din- didn't- ...<em>fuck</em>," Harry cursed his own inability to spout the right stream of words he needed. He was frantic to speak.</p>
<p>"No. Stop.." Ben held up his hand. Harry took note of how Ben was refusing to even look at him.</p>
<p>"Ben..." Harry continued, pleading with his eyes for him to listen, "Please, I'm sorry. Don't think Jay and I-... We're not anything- he and I-.. no.. He and I aren't together, I swear." Harry wasn't even aware of his own prioritization of making sure Ben knew he and Jay weren't together romantically. At the moment, it seemed the most important point to get across. His disoriented mind didn't let him realize how odd and how <em>stupid</em> of an insistence that was.</p>
<p>As if- where he and Ben stood, relationship wise- there was even a reason to explain that. There wasn't. But Harry's current desperation, embarrassment, and longing for Ben's romantic approval drove him to insisting on it.</p>
<p>Which was a huge mistake.</p>
<p>"Harry, <em>stop</em>," Ben's horrified face furrowed with confusion. Then anger. Harry could almost feel the anger radiating off of him. "Why are you apologizing? It's not like you have anything to apologize for..."</p>
<p>Harry stopped, feeling an uncomfortable suspension between them. Then Ben's confusion shifted again. This time to something almost sinister in a way. He laughed rudely.</p>
<p>"You don't have to explain yourself," He laughed in a way that stung Harry's heart before he even continued, "It's not like I'm your fucking boyfriend or something."</p>
<p>Harry's mouth almost dropped open. He took a step backwards and he could feel the expression on his face twisting from the sense of being pierced through his heart.</p>
<p>"...Ouch," Harry frowned. The blood pumping harshly through his ears grew louder than his own voice, "That's... <em>not</em> what I meant..."</p>
<p>If Ben saw the pain in Harry's eyes, he didn't acknowledge it, nor did he make any effort to change the sourness in his tone, "If anything, I'm sorry I made you come to this stupid party," he frowned, "I'm sorry you had to drink yourself to death before you could have a good time."</p>
<p>"Ben... stop...Please, just stop."</p>
<p>"No, Harry. I'm fucking sorry okay?" Ben looked behind Harry, back toward the room they came from. He shook his head and said, "Just... go back to your night, I'll get someone to clean up the water. I'm sorry I ruined things for you."</p>
<p>"Ben..." Harry continued to try and plead, but Ben had already turned around and made off down the hallway.</p>
<p>And Harry was left to watch hopelessly. A sick churning of his stomach struck him.</p>
<p>The hallway was spinning endlessly around him and all he could do was turn around and make his way back to the guest room. He spotted Jay standing beside the door, a stern curiosity and concern on his face, but Harry had no interest in saying anything more to him. Honestly, he didn't really want to look at him.</p>
<p>Thankfully, he hadn't said nor asked anything as he assisted Harry back into the room. Harry tried as much as he could to hide the agony he was feeling, but he had no awareness to gauge how successful he was.</p>
<p>He had no mind to worry about how he looked either.</p>
<p>All he wanted now was to go to sleep because so long as he was asleep, he wouldn't have to be thinking about all of the different missteps that led to the complete disarray of this now-regrettable night.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Mourning After</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>Ben</em>.</p>
<p>What is wrong with you?</p>
<p>What the <em>hell</em> is wrong with you?</p>
<p>God, you're so <em>stupid</em>.</p>
<p>How could you be so complacent watching everything around you slip away? Shoving it away. Ruining everything. How can you be a King when you can't even handle this one goddamn issue without completely tearing your own friend apart? An issue <em>you</em> created and a friend that's done nothing more than put up with all of your bullshit that came with it.</p>
<p>God..</p>
<p>Ben squeezed his stinging eyes shut. He had woken up to them burning from stains of tears and it didn't take long for the stream of his self-berating consciousness to add to it.</p>
<p>The truth was, Ben was far from complacent. He had been lying awake for maybe twenty or thirty minutes since he opened his eyes, unable to keep the previous night off his mind. There wasn't a moment of it that his mind left untended. Everything. From the moment Harry walked into the ballroom to the moment Ben walked into the guest room.</p>
<p>The pain of walking in and seeing Harry and Jay. The sick twisting in his stomach as he tried to get back to the ballroom as quickly as possible, trying every mental trick there was to forget what he had seen. And when forgetting it didn't work, he tried pretending to forget it. He tried forcing it to the back of his mind. The effort that went into forcing the image and the thoughts away weakened him. It hollowed him out and he spent the remainder of the ball as nothing more than a shell. He acted out a simulation of what King Benjamin was supposed to be.</p>
<p>The rest of the ball was merely a hallucination he could not remember. He didn't remember saying goodbye to anyone, he didn't remember his friends leaving, he didn't remember if he even saw his parents.</p>
<p>He remembered the pain in his chest, though. He remembered how overwhelmed his mind was with regret and disdain and embarrassment. He remembered going back up to his room and how, in the midst of the storm of regret, disdain, and embarrassment, he also found himself unable to keep the image of Harry on top of Jay- whose body was strikingly half exposed and begging with lust and fervor for Harry's mouth- out of his head. He remembered how a small, vile part of him was almost adamant in keeping that image in his mind, no matter how insistent the rest of him was on rejecting it.</p>
<p>He remembered how the guilt of holding onto the image, and the disgust he felt for himself for doing so, fueled a flame of energy inside of him he didn't know he had. An angry, gross, shameful flame of energy that thrived off his own self-loathing; it thrived off his persistence to reject the reality of that night; it thrived off the image.</p>
<p>Ben wiped his eyes before rolling onto his back. He felt Mal stir beside him and he looked over at her figure that was still blessed with a peaceful, deep sleep. His eyes fixed on her undressed body and the blankets and bedsheets that cloaked elegantly over her shape. Her purple ball gown she had slipped out of before bed draped in a similar fashion over the armchair beside them. The dress was joined by the layers of Ben's own suit, which had been thrown less delicately onto the chair in his own animalistic lust to burn away the energy.</p>
<p>He remembered that part of last night, too. He felt the sickness of guilt and shame agitate his stomach again as he looked at Mal, who had been blissfully unaware of what had actually incited Ben's unexpected libido. With how rare it had become for Ben to actually be aroused enough to have sex at all, she probably didn't even care to question it.</p>
<p>More guilt. More shame.</p>
<p>He took in a deep, quiet breath. He needed all of this to stop.</p>
<p>Everything.</p>
<p>And that started with Harry.</p>
<p>God, Harry... Ben wiped his burning eyes again. He wanted to apologize to Harry above everything else. He couldn't lay here awake another minute, wallowing in his self-deprecation. And guilt. And hate. He couldn't let Harry exist another minute not knowing how fucking sorry Ben was for everything.</p>
<p>Another deep breath.</p>
<p>Ben slid carefully out of bed, unobtrusive as to not wake Mal, and made for his closet to dress himself so he could make for the same room that had sent him into a complete dishevelment just the night prior.</p>
<p>He was hesitant once he got to the same door. He almost couldn't bring himself to knock from the nerves of facing Harry. And... potentially Jay, again. But he needed to apologize. As he knocked on the door, a wave of embarrassment flooded over him at how stupid he was to not have done so last night. It wasn't entirely his fault since the door had been partially left open, but that didn't alleviate the amount of guilt he felt.</p>
<p>He waited a minute.</p>
<p>Two minutes...</p>
<p>He was growing sick again and the idea of abandoning this attempt to reconcile became inviting. He was about to turn on his heels and do so when finally, the door opened. Ben's body stiffened when he saw Harry in the frame of the open door. All of the words he had gone over in his head slipped out of his mind.</p>
<p>Harry stood staring at Ben with as much surprise as his exhausted, sickly form could muster. He looked paler than anyone Ben had ever seen in his life and his eyes were puffy and swollen. His hair was a complete mess, mopping over his head in a bouquet of nonconforming locks. His face was twisted in pain and misery to the point that Ben wondered if there was even a soul that existed within his body. Ben didn't think he'd ever- since he first met him- see Harry Hook appear so lifeless and weak.</p>
<p>Besides his unhealthy-looking form, one of the first things Ben noticed- and what held his attention the longest- was his sleeping attire. Or lack thereof. He stood in front of Ben with nothing but sweatpants, which Ben identified from the design and Auradon Prep crest to be Tourney track pants. The small sinking feeling that came with the obvious notion that they were Jay's, was overshadowed by the impression Ben had of seeing the rest of his bare body. He felt another wave of emotion come over him seeing the chiseled muscles that coordinated perfectly to shape his torso. His arms. His slim, toned waist that transitioned so smoothly into his substantial chest and shoulders. How could someone so ill manage to still be so attracti-</p>
<p>"Hey, Harry..." Ben uttered.</p>
<p>Harry leaned against the frame of the door, his head against his hand as if standing were too physically impairing for him. He kept his grim eyes somewhere off to the side of Ben, not actually looking at him, and in a way that emanated something between hurt and malice. Impatience. Mostly, he just looked exhausted. Ben shifted awkwardly when Harry didn't speak.</p>
<p>"I-..." Ben glanced off to the side, "I just... wanted to know how you were doing."</p>
<p>"It's seven a.m." Harry's whisper was listless and harsh.</p>
<p>Ben winced, "I'm sorry... I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I didn't mean to wake you up."</p>
<p>"You didn't," Harry closed his swollen eyes and breathed in calmly and lightly before opening them again and mumbling, "My relentless vomiting had me out of bed much earlier than this."</p>
<p>"Oh..." Ben didn't know if Harry meant that humorously. Nothing in the atmosphere around them called for any amusement. He couldn't really understand how Harry could manage to joke with someone who had just been so cruel to him, anyway. But nothing in Harry's face showed a trace of humor either, so Ben settled for just apologizing, "I'm sorry. Can I-... Can I bring you anything? Water? A change of clothes?"</p>
<p>Harry took another moment to breathe and for a second it looked like he'd continue his vomiting right there, but he just swallowed and ran a hand over his eyes before muttering, "Jay already gave me clothes. And water."</p>
<p>Ben's heart sank a bit. He cleared his throat and inadvertently peaked into the room before asking, "Is he... here right now?"</p>
<p>"No, Ben," Harry sighed, his feeble voice was growing impatient, "He didn't stick around for too long after you stopped by last night." Ben's heart sank more. The emotions were coming back up. His eyes dropped to the ground and he suddenly remembered everything he had wanted to say to Harry before.</p>
<p>"Harry, I'm-... I'm sorry." Ben's eyes pleaded for Harry to understand the true level of how much he meant that. But Harry still wasn't looking at him. Not that Ben could blame him. "I'm so sorry. I just-... I really needed to come talk to you. I hate how things ended up and I feel awful about it..." Ben's voice trailed off when he saw Harry's eyes close again. Ben suddenly couldn't decipher if his seeming lack of attention was from not wanting him there, or if he was just really that sick.</p>
<p>"I can't stand here much longer, Ben," Harry muttered with more impatience this time, "If you have somethin' more to tell me, do it now, or come inside."</p>
<p>The sourness stung, but Ben took it with dignity and chose the latter option. Harry merely turned back into the room and made for the bed without a word. Ben gathered the confidence to step in after him, closing the door behind. He watched Harry grab a near-empty glass off the side table along with a pitcher of water beside it (a different pitcher than the one Ben had brought and humiliatingly dropped the night before), and pour himself a glass. Harry swallowed almost half of it before sitting onto the bed and reclining in exhausted pain on the pillows that were stacked against the headboard.</p>
<p>Ben stood watching uncomfortably before he decided to take a seat on the decorative chair beside the bedside table. Harry's hand came up to his forehead as if he had a fever.</p>
<p>"I've never been this hungover in my life," He remarked, wincing.</p>
<p>"You... drank a lot," Ben said. It was a stupidly obvious thing to point out, he realized, but he didn't know what else to say.</p>
<p>Harry's hand dropped back on the bed beside him and he whispered, "I'm never drinking again." Ben stayed quiet and a silence drew out between them. Harry didn't seem too keen on speaking, so after a long moment, Ben worked up the courage to start up where he left off.</p>
<p>"I'm really sorry, Harry. I'm sorry for what happened last night. Not just... <em>you know</em>... but after. How I acted and what I said; it was horribly immature and I wish I could take back the way I treated you. And not even just that, but before too. I was such an asshole for ignoring you the way I did."</p>
<p>Harry was still silent, but Ben allowed him the moment to think it over. Finally, he opened his eyes again, looking downcast, and asked, "What was that about? I couldn't figure out what the hell happened or what I did to piss ya' off."</p>
<p>"You didnt-" Ben shook his head quickly, "You didn't do anything. <em>I</em> freaked out. That's all on me. It's just... when Jay gave you the handkerchief I didn't know what to do."</p>
<p>"The handkerchief?" Harry's face furrowed and the confusion was the first real emotion he had portrayed since he opened the door this morning. Ben sighed. He didn't want to get into it right now, for the sake of Harry's health, but Harry had to know.</p>
<p>"Jay got it from <em>me</em>. <em>I'm</em> the one that had it," Ben explained, to which Harry's gaze crept bitterly to Ben. That was the first he had looked at him this morning, too. "That time when I snuck to the Isle, you put it in my shirt pocket, but you never took it back. Then when I got back here, Jay saw it and he questioned me about it later and asked if I was with you, but I denied everything. I said the handkerchief was mine and he was mistaken." Ben checked over Harry's expression, to make sure he was following. The confusion had turned to a more decisive frown, which was enough affirmation. "I didn't realize Jay <em>stole</em> it back from my room, and when he pulled it out and asked you about it, and you confirmed it was yours, I completely panicked."</p>
<p>Harry seemed to be mentally putting the pieces together in his head.</p>
<p>Ben shoved his forehead into his hand and said, "I had no idea Jay gave it to you... I fucked up completely, Harry. Now he knows I lied. He knows I met with you on the Isle. And he's going to tell Mal and everyone else. And they're going to find out everything that I told you and I'm just not ready to be honest about any of this because <em>I</em> don't even know what's going on with me. I haven't even figured out what's wrong and I don't want to lose everything before I'm even able to try and fix myself."</p>
<p>Ben's eyes were burning again. Harry still remained silent. Ben continued, "So that's why I freaked out. And I couldn't even look at you because it just killed me to. I'm sorry. Like I said, it was immature and I should have talked to you, but at the moment, I just felt like I couldn't." He looked back at Harry who was watching him with a less-bitter gaze now. "I... realized how shitty I was being to you. I had so much fun with you before that and I realized it wasn't worth losing you as a friend because of my situation with Jay. I came up here to apologize but then..."</p>
<p>Ben looked to the door across the room, then back to Harry. His gut was pierced with regret.</p>
<p>"Seeing you two together. Walking in on you. I felt everything hit me again. I panicked again, and I lashed out at you and I shouldn't have done that. I felt- I <em>feel</em> disgusted with myself. I had no reason to say any of that, I don't know why I was so..." Ben let his voice trail off again. He stopped himself before he brought about another box of issues he didn't currently want to open. "I'm just really sorry, Harry. About <em>everything</em>."</p>
<p>Harry looked up at the ceiling from where he lay fragile on the bed. Ben couldn't help but let his eyes roam over his shape. It was difficult to not subconsciously admire something about the sight of a notoriously ruthless and terrifying pirate, curled up and openly defenseless in bed from the consequences of one-too-many drinks. If this were another day, Ben wouldn't let Harry live without receiving some snarky remark. But this wasn't the day.</p>
<p>"I appreciate the apology, Ben," Harry said. "I do wish you had just talked to me, though. It could have kept the damage to a minimum."</p>
<p>"I know, I know," Ben insisted.</p>
<p>Harry looked back at him with more sincerity, "But I'm glad you're telling me now. I guess I should've figured out the whole handkerchief ordeal, but honestly I was quite inebriated at the moment," he sighed, "It's not like it would've saved ya' any trouble, anyway, because he knew it was mine. But at least I would've understood your situation."</p>
<p>It looked like there was a lot more Harry wanted to say by the way he was looking over Ben's face, but he ended up just closing his eyes again and taking in another settling breath. Harry was right, nothing he could've done would have saved Ben trouble. Harry wasn't responsible for any damage-control created by Ben.</p>
<p>"I'm so sorry for dragging you into my mess of a problem. And I'm sorry for freaking out and panicking, I just didn't know what to do or how to handle being completely cornered by Jay like that," Ben said, then he shook his head, "I <em>still</em> don't. I wish I could assure him everything's fine between Mal and I, but he caught me <em>lying</em> to her."</p>
<p>"And everything <em>isn't</em> fine between you and Mal," Harry reminded, his drained eyes intent on Ben. Ben swallowed dryly. He tried to protest, but a heavy beat of his heart stopped him.</p>
<p>"I-..." Ben hesitated, then decided to say, "I shouldn't keep dragging you into my problems. Especially not right now. I'm sorry." He started to get up, trying to not focus on the leery look Harry was giving him.</p>
<p>"Talking about your problems with me is far different from dragging me into them. Accusing me of cursing you, and involving me in your lies is dragging me into your problems. But if you just want to talk and figure things out for yourself, there's nothing wrong with that."</p>
<p>Ben paused where he now stood and watched Harry. He felt another surge of emotions at Harry's indirect invitation for Ben to reach out. He almost completely forgot about the circumstance between them when he cracked a mild grin and said:</p>
<p>"I thought you only cared about the problems of your fellow pirates."</p>
<p>Harry gave as much of a laugh as his sick body could muster. He threw Ben another leery look before saying, "I could've sworn I made you an official pirate."</p>
<p>Ben's grin grew into a smile. He looked down, abashed.</p>
<p>Harry continued, "There's a lot you need to figure out for yourself, Ben, and I sympathize with ya' greatly. I really do. But, as much as I believe that, and as much as I appreciate you coming to talk to me and apologizing, I really feel like absolute, utter shit right now. And I'm probably going to be really sick in the next minute or so."</p>
<p>"Oh, um, yeah of course, I'm sorry. I'll leave you be. If you need anything- more water, or a ride back- please just let me know."</p>
<p>"Thanks," Harry said with his eyes closed and through steady breathing, "Uma should be coming to get me relatively soon. I'm not looking forward to it."</p>
<p>Ben chuckled awkwardly before nodding and saying, "Alright, well... I'll see you around, Harry. I hope you feel better."</p>
<p>"Thanks, Ben," Harry said, opening his eyes again, "Also... don't worry about Jay just yet. He can be a real ass and he may seem threatening, but he's not spiteful or impulsive. He cares about Mal. He's not going to risk wrecking things between you two without fully understanding the problem. Honestly, as unappealing as it sounds, maybe you should just talk to him and be honest."</p>
<p>Ben considered his words before saying, "You're right... That does sound very unappealing." When Harry rolled his eyes, Ben continued, "I'll give it some thought. Thanks Harry, and again, I'm sorry for everything."</p>
<p>Harry gave a tired gesture of a goodbye before Ben made for the door and slipped back into the hallway. With an only half-content huff, he started down the hall and in the direction of his office with a thousand new thoughts filling his mind.<br/><br/></p>
<p>Concentrating on work was nearly impossible and Ben sat at his office desk restless. He was reading through the latest plans for the school program. It was a stack of drafts for the classes that would be considered. Budgets for each one. Budgets for the next event. He had to write his speech for that too. So much work.</p>
<p>So little room in his cramped mind to focus.</p>
<p>Apologizing to Harry only solved one of his many problems, and even then, he wasn't entirely satisfied with it. They parted somewhat peacefully, but it wasn't the same lively, joking energy in which they had at the museum, or outside in the garden. Ben considered, perhaps after walking in on him and Jay, after treating him with such hostility, they would never go back to that same level of comfortable energy. He also considered the potential of never <em>getting the chance</em> to work things out fully with Harry. The thought was killing him.</p>
<p>He stared at the paragraphs of regulations for the classes.</p>
<p>He knew it deep inside of him; Harry and Jay. He knew they had a history that went beyond friends. He didn't realize how <em>known</em> that was to all of his friends, though. Why had no one ever mentioned it before? Then again, Ben didn't even find out until weeks ago that Harry liked men. He didn't find out until last night that <em>Jay</em> did, too. Was Ben blind?</p>
<p>'<em>Uptight</em>,' Harry had called him back at the lake, '<em>And quite sheltered</em>.'</p>
<p>To be fair, he only ever saw Jay with women. If no one told him, how was he supposed to...</p>
<p>It then occurred to Ben that Jay had gone for several months on a backpacking trip alone with Gil. And they had always been quite friendly with each other before that...</p>
<p>Maybe he <em>was</em> blind. And sheltered.</p>
<p>If he knew about Jay and Harry's history- if he had understood and foreseen that Jay and Harry were going to sleep together- would that have changed anything? Would that have changed Ben's reaction to seeing it? Would it have even saved an ounce of the distress of seeing Harry actually on top of him?</p>
<p>Ben felt his fingers clutch tightly around the pen he was holding. There were so many damn papers and plans he had to go through.</p>
<p>What would he tell Jay? Would he ever find the sense to talk to him? Could he even look him in the eye? He felt his heart begin beating faster.</p>
<p>'<em>Everything isn't fine between you and Mal</em>.' He heard Harry's voice repeat in his head. He couldn't tell Jay a <em>fraction</em> of what he told Harry at the lake. He couldn't tell him that he did meet with Harry at the Isle and that he was never there for the educational program. He couldn't tell him that things weren't fine between him and Mal. In fact, things were so not-fine that he actually convinced himself he was <em>cursed</em>. He couldn't tell him how he was slipping into insanity from his inability to think straight, his inability to concentrate, or his inability to find even a shred of romantic feelings for Mal.</p>
<p>He dropped the pen and sucked in a deep breath before he lost control of how fast his heart was beating. He stood up quickly, desperate to find fresh air, and left his desk for the door.</p>
<p>"Ben."</p>
<p>He was halted when his mother appeared at the door before he could slip out. It wasn't until he saw his father appear right behind her that his heart continued its rapid increase in pace.</p>
<p>Great. Perfect timing.</p>
<p>Ben stepped back from the door as they made their way in. His mother looked as concerned as she had when he came back with Harry from the museum. His father looked just as upset.</p>
<p>Belle spoke first, "Hi, Ben. We just wanted to check in on things."</p>
<p>Adam was quick to not give Ben the chance to respond, "Have you figured out how you're going to <em>responsibly</em> incorporate the job opportunities into the plans?"</p>
<p>Not even a 'Good-morning', Ben noted sourly.</p>
<p>"I'm working on it," Was all he said. He heard his voice come out more bitter than he intended. He didn't want to immediately start the conversation on a hostile note, but apparently his preceding frustrations and stress had been stronger than he realized. His parents no doubt took note of the bitter tone.</p>
<p>His father sighed, "Ben, you need to understand that creating this program in general is already a vast and complicated process. It's a wonderful project, but we need to be reasonable with what we get done and how quickly we can get it done."</p>
<p>"I do understand that," Ben frowned, trying to level the tone of his voice.</p>
<p>"Then <em>why</em> did you make such an abrupt announcement saying we were going to open job opportunities when the council never discussed it? And <em>why</em> did you tell everyone the plans were getting done sooner than expected when they aren't?"</p>
<p>"I-..." Ben hesitated. What could he say? He did it out of spite? That he did it to prove a point? He couldn't tell his father that. His father probably figured that's why he did it, anyway. "...I don't know."</p>
<p>"So you clearly <em>don't</em> understand how complicated this project is," Adam frowned. He sensed his father's anger rising and Ben had to take in deeper breaths to manage his own. "Ben, we are very concerned that you aren't taking these responsibilities seriously."</p>
<p>'<em>THAT'S what you're concerned with?</em>' Ben wanted to ask as he felt his heart beginning to pound. It physically hurt him to hear his father say it. He looked at his mom, who dropped her eyes almost instantly.</p>
<p>"I'm <em>trying</em>..." He tried to say, but it came out too quiet for Adam to acknowledge.</p>
<p>"These last few council meetings, you've been noticeably inattentive. You haven't been contributing to much of the discussions. You don't seem enthusiastic about anything you're supposed to do," he shook his head, "Your mother asked you to make personal connections with the guests at the ball yesterday, and we really didn't see you utilizing the opportunity the way one would expect of a King."</p>
<p>There was another pang in his chest. He didn't want to stand here anymore. There was nothing he could say to his parents to reassure them. Just like there was nothing he could say to Jay. Or any of his other friends. Or Mal.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry," Ben tried, he felt his breathing deepen, "I think I've just been a bit overwhelmed with everything going on and I guess I just needed a night to relax. I got a bit distracted with my friends..." He looked between his parents, "It's the Unity Ball, we only get one of those a year, and I just-"</p>
<p>"You disappeared for an hour and a half right after your dance with Mal!" The leap of anger in his father's voice sent a sharp alarm through Ben. Ben's mouth fought to spew words and after a few seconds of hesitation, he was able to explain:</p>
<p>"I was showing one of the royal guests around Auradon."</p>
<p>"That's <em>not</em> your job, Ben!"</p>
<p>"You <em>just</em> said my job was to make personal connections with the guests from the Isle."</p>
<p>"Yes, but to ration your time between as many people as possible. Not fixate on one single person," Adam scoffed, "Especially when that person was being incredibly disruptive throughout the party and noticeably causing trouble. At the Royal Table, nonetheless. And right in front of the rest of the council, too."</p>
<p>His heart thudded against his chest in a sudden surge of anger at the way his father referred to Harry. He couldn't hold back the defense that his irritation was now throwing forward.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, Dad, that he didn't have the privilege of being raised going to cotillions every other month," He spat, and his father looked horrified at the outburst, "Isn't the whole point of the Unity Ball to acknowledge that? Because I thought we were past ridiculing the Isle kids."</p>
<p>"Do not make this about that," Adam warned, and there was a flicker of acrimony in his eyes.</p>
<p>"Make <em>what</em> about <em>what</em>?"</p>
<p>"Make your irresponsibility as a King about me somehow ridiculing those kids!"</p>
<p>"What, you get to criticize me and the job I'm trying to do as a King? But I can't criticize you for judging my friend because he grew up the way YOU forced him to?"</p>
<p>"Nobody is ridiculing those kids, Ben," Belle finally stepped in as their argument began to amplify. She looked at Ben with a mix of trouble and attempt at understanding, "I'm sure your friend is a wonderful person. Your father meant it's concerning that you spent more focus on your friend instead of the rest of the guests."</p>
<p>"No, Mom, he very <em>intentionally</em> included how he thinks <em>my friend</em> is disruptive and causes trouble," Ben argued spitefully with his eyes glued angrily on Adam, "You're already berating me, so why not berate my friends too, while you're at it?"</p>
<p>"Ben, cut it out," Adam warned again, which told Ben that his father had no actual argument against him, "This is far beside the point we're making."</p>
<p>"What point? You're the one that brought him into this. I don't get to defend him?"</p>
<p>"Ben, of course you can defend your friends," Belle assured, stepping forward. Adam shot her a nearly offended glare, but she ignored it and held her troubled eyes on her son.</p>
<p>"The <em>point</em> is," Adam cut in fiercely before his wife could continue, "You had hundreds of other guests from the Isle wanting to personally meet their King. You could have gained so much respectability by being present the entire time and spending time with people that can actually offer you benefits. The <em>point</em> is you shouldn't have wasted so much of your time with that one person. It doesn't matter who your friend is or where he came from or <em>what</em> reasons you had for giving him a Royal Invitation in the first place. <em>He's</em> not the one the King needs to be making connections with."</p>
<p>"Fine!" Ben spat, "Sure, I shouldn't have left the ball. But you don't get to tell me who I can and can't spend my time with. You don't get to decide who's worth talking to just because <em>you</em> think they can't offer me some selfish... <em>political</em> benefits in return." Ben felt the anger and frustration inside of him whirling. "And I gave him a Royal Invitation because he <em>deserves</em> it for saving Auradon despite having every single reason to despise this place! He fought to bring the barrier down. And he stopped a thief that stole from me at the Isle! So don't act like I had no reason to give him a Royal Invite!"</p>
<p>Ben was more than prepared to keep arguing. To keep defending Harry. He wanted to, but his parents suddenly paused. His father's anger turned to a baffled confusion and Ben wondered if he had said something he shouldn't have.</p>
<p>"<em>What</em>?" Adam demanded. The anger came back.</p>
<p>"Someone stole from you at the Isle?" Belle frowned in concern.</p>
<p>Oh... That. He quickly remembered how he neglected to tell his parents that small bit of information.</p>
<p>"It's not a big deal. I got my watch back," Ben was still frowning, now feeling more angry at how quickly his parents devolved from the previous argument. It's not like it was outside of his father's nature to jump to a different topic the second Ben formulated a good enough argument against the original one, anyway. Inside, it was like he wanted them to acknowledge that Harry was a good person. He wanted his father to know he was wrong in his bias. That anything negative he saw in Harry, derived directly from his own heinous decision to throw hundreds of people on the Isle in the first place.</p>
<p>"Why didn't you tell us this?" Belle asked.</p>
<p>"Who is the thief? What's his name?" His father continued to demand.</p>
<p>"I don't know?" Ben answered with a scornful grimace.</p>
<p>"You don't <em>know</em>?" Adam pressed, "Where is he now?"</p>
<p>"I don't <em>know</em>," Ben scoffed, "It doesn't matter. We stopped him and I told the guards to escort him off the event grounds-"</p>
<p>"You let him <em>go</em>?" Adam frowned in disbelief. Then he exchanged a look with Belle before continuing, "You see, this is exactly what I'm talking about with you not taking your responsibilities seriously. As a King, you can<em>not</em> let people like that go. I don't care if you think it's being merciful, all you are doing is letting your people know that they can get away with trying to steal from you. That they won't face repercussions for crimes. You let that man back onto the streets! He is a criminal, Ben!"</p>
<p>"What about <em>Audrey</em>?" Ben yelled. His impatience had erupted. Every fiber of his body trembled with anger and frustration of his hearing his father's hypocrisy. His judgment. The pressure of his disapproval solidifying all of Ben's fears. Turning every sick worry he ever felt in his body this past month- these past four years- into a heavy stone that made even standing difficult.</p>
<p>"Ben..." Belle whispered looking toward the hallway, "Keep your voice down... please..."</p>
<p>"God! No! I won't!" Ben cried, turning back to his father, "What about <em>Audrey</em>? We let her go! She attacked the entire kingdom and we let her GO! She attacked ME, but because she's Aurora's daughter it's all perfectly fine to completely forgive her and let her and her family just move away somewhere else for everyone to forget about? But somehow someone from the Isle stealing a watch to feed his family deserves a <em>prison sentence</em>? You know, maybe they wouldn't resort to being criminals if you didn't trap them on the Isle without anything in the first place!"</p>
<p>"Ben that is enough!" Adam cut in with a volume that surpassed Ben's, "You are WAY out of line right now!"</p>
<p>"I don't think I-"</p>
<p>"I said ENOUGH!" Adam took a step forward, visibly fuming, "You do not get to try and justify your shortcomings by vilifying me right now. I came here to address the very big problem you created with your impulsive actions during your speech yesterday. I came here to make sure you understood that if you want to be a decent King, you are <em>never</em> to drag your own people into a petty and immature game of yours the way you did in that speech. I don't know what the hell you were thinking and I don't know what the <em>hell</em> has gotten into you lately, but it needs to stop right now!"</p>
<p>"I'm sorry!" Ben cried, "I'm sorry, okay? Is that what you want to hear? I'm sorry I'm failing at my job! I'm sorry I'm failing you and the kingdom and everyone else! I'm sorry I'm not the son you wanted!" His head pounded with pain and his eyes burned as they fought back tears, "No. You know what? I'm sorry I'm not the KING you wanted! Because it feels like THAT comes well before being your SON!"</p>
<p>"Ben!" Belle cried out, nearly shoving past Adam to put her hands on the side of Ben's arm's in a desperate reassurance, "It absolutely does <em>not</em>!" Seeing the offense and pain in his mother's eyes was almost enough to calm the storm inside of him.</p>
<p>"Where is all of this coming from, Ben?" His father's voice quickly sparked it back up.</p>
<p>"What do you <em>mean</em> where is this coming from?" Ben seethed, "It's been here! It's all been here! For over two goddamn years it's been here, but you wouldn't know that!" At that, Ben's voice cracked, choking back the lump of agony in his throat.</p>
<p>"Ben..." His mother tried desperately to bring his attention back to her. Ben could feel her useless attempt at bestowing comfort. He wanted to leave. He just wanted to get out of the office. Out of the castle. Out of Auradon. Belle asked, "What do you mean? What is going on?"</p>
<p>"Nothing," Ben shook his head, "Forget it."</p>
<p>"Ben..."</p>
<p>"No," He repeated, shrugging his mother's hands off bitterly, "I'm done having this conversation." He threw both of them a distasteful look before starting to make his way to the door.</p>
<p>"Where are you going?" He heard his father's voice say after him and now it was just making him sick.</p>
<p>"Somewhere else," Ben snapped, "And I'm taking tomorrow off."</p>
<p>"Ben! You can't just-"</p>
<p>"I can do whatever I want!" Ben spat, whirling back around, just before he reached the door, "If you don't like that, you shouldn't have made me the <em>fucking King</em>!"</p>
<p>He stormed out of the room just before he could even get a glimpse of their horrified expressions. He didn't care. He wanted out. He wanted peace.</p>
<p>He wanted Harry.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. The Wonders One Cavern Can Hold</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So sorry this is such a late update! I've been GONE. But I'm back and things should continue as usual lol. Thank you so much for everyone that is sticking by and reading!!! &lt;3</p>
<p>[CW: Referenced Drug use]</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Don't...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Pleeeaaaseee don't...</em>
</p>
<p>Harry clasped onto the railing as another large wave forced the ship to dip and rise atop the ocean's surface in a far heavier motion than normal. The waves and rocking of the ship were becoming synchronized with the motions of the sickness in his own stomach. Another dip. Another rise. Another urge to throw up.</p>
<p>His other hand clenched the handle of his hook.</p>
<p>He hadn't been sick this morning, unlike all yesterday morning. Thankfully, most of his hangover was gone after spending the entirety of the past thirty-six hours completely bedridden. Uma- bless her heart- gave him the next few days to recover despite the fury she probably had for Harry getting so wasted in the first place. <em>After</em> her strict advice against it. He expected a full tongue-lashing from her when she picked him up from the castle yesterday, but there was none. She probably saw that the long, arduous car-ride alone was enough punishment for him. Which, it definitely was.</p>
<p>Never in his life had Harry been so sick from drinking. Maybe he wouldn't have felt so sick had the night gone without such trouble and embarrassment. There was so much that went wrong. There was so much that went right, too, but that was still a great part of the pain because if those wonderful moments with Ben hadn't felt so right, then maybe the unfortunate moments wouldn't have felt so, so wrong.</p>
<p>Another large wave crashed into the side of the ship. Another threat of sickness.</p>
<p><em>Donnnnn't</em>.</p>
<p>He took in a slow breath before bringing a canteen of water to his mouth to rehydrate. It was time to get off this ruthless ship. Maybe he could find something to eat before his body completely collapsed from the lack of energy. Everyone else was at Uma's restaurant anyway.</p>
<p>He stabilized his dizzy body and made for the dock. It threw off his balance to step onto an unmoving surface, but after a minute, his body adjusted to the lack of rocking. He prayed a thanks when his stomach settled more comfortably because of it.</p>
<p>The Isle wasn't too lively on this Monday morning. Most everyone was back to work as usual, although in higher spirits— events like the Unity Ball tended to have that effect. Harry, however, was more than ready to have a quiet, completely uneventful day dedicated to full recovery. Full recovery both physically and emotionally.</p>
<p>He was halfway down the dock when those plans slipped away. When the dark navy battered clothes appeared into his view, Harry swore his disheveled brain was playing a trick on him. Hangovers weren't supposed to cause hallucinations, right?</p>
<p>"Harry..."</p>
<p>Hallucinations weren't supposed to speak either. Was Ben <em>actually</em> here on the Isle? Standing there at the other end of the dock? A sweet, rippling sensation swarmed up Harry's body, which was almost equally as surprising as seeing him there.</p>
<p>"Ben," Harry remarked, which sounded half like a question. He took the next several steps to join Ben on the other end, puzzlement all over his face. "What are you doing here?"</p>
<p>Ben looked as troubled as Harry was confused. The last time Ben snuck over to the Isle looking this troubled, he accused Harry of cursing him. But things between them were drastically different now than they were then and because of that, Harry found a nervousness beginning to stir inside of him.</p>
<p>"Hey," Ben looked down to the bruised boots that were on his feet. He looked so different in these clothes, Harry noticed. So different from how he looked in his suit. And, although the battered attire was meant to blend him into the gruff, dangerous character of the Isle, Harry couldn't help but see it define him as anything <em>but</em>. In fact, the mismatched, ill-fitted leather and beanie only made him look softer— cuter— than he did in his sharp, polished royal attire.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry if this isn't a good time," Ben started, ignoring Harry's first question, "I just... I really wanted to see you." There was a thud in Harry's chest that broke through the wall of aching from the night of the Ball.</p>
<p>Ben went on, "I don't like how things left off. I know I already apologized yesterday but I'm just really sorry for what happened. I don't want anything to be weird between us and I don't want to have to keep worrying about whether or not you hate me or ever want to see me again. I just want to clear everything," A flash of pain crossed his face when he looked at Harry, "And honestly... I could really use your company right now."</p>
<p>"Ben..." Harry frowned as if he could feel the strain of his trouble, "I don't hate you." He had a sudden urge to tell him just how much of the opposite it was that he felt for him. That it was so much the opposite that that's <em>why</em> he was in such great pain from Ben's spiteful words. "I don't like how things left off either. Is everything okay?"</p>
<p>"Yeah," He said without much conviction, then he shrugged, "I hope so."</p>
<p>"Does anyone know you're here?" Harry asked carefully.</p>
<p>"No..." Guilt filled his expression, "I know the last thing I should be doing right now is going behind everyone's back <em>again</em>, but I really needed to come talk to you."</p>
<p>Harry sighed, slightly displeased by Ben's decision to add to his pile of secrecy. Not to mention, if Jay found out Ben was here with him right now, it would definitely solidify his suspicions that there was something between them. Even if there wasn't, really. But in all honesty, it brought that sense of rightness back into Harry seeing Ben here, seeking his company. And he really needed to talk to Ben, too.</p>
<p>"Oh, also I- uh- ...I also wanted to give you something..."</p>
<p>Harry's eyebrows furrowed for clarification at Ben's unexpected statement. It was then that he noticed Ben brought with him a backpack, which he slid off to scour through. Harry stood awkwardly, watching in question and hesitancy, not quite knowing how to respond. It wasn't like he was very used to people abruptly giving him things.</p>
<p>Ben pulled out a small box, which he handed to Harry. Still filled with uncertainty, Harry took it and kept his eyes on Ben's slightly embarrassed smile as he removed the top of the box. Harry looked down and was met with a glare of reflected, shimmering light sitting inside it.</p>
<p>"It's... an apology gift," Ben explained. Harry could hear the embarrassment slipping through his voice. "I remember you saying yours was broken. Back at the lake. So, I wanted to get you a new one."</p>
<p>Harry was speechless as he stared down at the beautiful golden pocket watch that lay inside the box. He curled his fingers around the long golden chain and lifted it out to meet the sunlight. It practically danced in the light, flickering brilliant golden reflections all around it. Tiny, intricate designs were engraved evenly and elegantly along the edges. It was stunning.</p>
<p>And Harry could not believe Ben had gotten it for <em>him</em>.</p>
<p>"Ben I—" Harry blinked in utter fascination, unable to pry his eyes off the ornate, glistening watch, "I wasn't expecting this. This— This is beautiful. I don't really know what to say..."</p>
<p>Ben was rocking on his heels as he watched Harry. His embarrassed smile grew a bit. Harry found his own lips forming a smile as well. Now his heart was aching. And he looked at Ben. And it ached even more. It wasn't even just the gesture of being given such a beautiful (most likely very expensive) gift, and it wasn't just the fact that Ben thought about him enough to get him something; it was also that he remembered such a tiny, unimportant detail of Harry briefly mentioning his pocket watch was broken. He couldn't believe it.</p>
<p>"Thank you, Ben," Harry said, sincerity flooding his heart.</p>
<p>"I'm glad you like it," Ben replied with a breath of relief.</p>
<p>"God I... I wish I had something to give y-"</p>
<p>"No, no," Ben quickly insisted, "No, please. You don't need to give me <em>anything</em>. Your patience with me is more than enough of a gift, I promise." Ben chuckled, "You are—... er.. um.. Your <em>company</em> is... enough."</p>
<p>Harry watched the hesitancy on Ben's face as he said that. He could only stare at him. And as he looked at Ben right now, he was quickly starting to forget that anything wrong happened between them at all. How could there be anything wrong?</p>
<p>
  <em>You are enough. Is that what you were going to say, Ben?</em>
</p>
<p>"Alright then," Harry smiled, showing a bit of his own abashment, "Well, if it's just my company I can offer you... would you care to go somewhere... <em>less</em> out in the open for someone to recognize?"</p>
<p>"Yeah. I would love that," Ben chuckled, then he looked up at Harry and added, "Actually, if it's not too much trouble, I'd really like to see the secret hideout you mentioned. The one you said you'd go to a lot as a kid?"</p>
<p>Harry laughed, but the laugh wasn't from anything humorous. It was from a sudden surge of disbelief. Really <em>happy</em> disbelief. He looked down at the pocket watch, who's hour hand was on the 11 and minute hand was on the 2. He looked back at the dock, then back at Ben. He could barely hold his stupid smile.</p>
<p>"Of course."<br/><br/><br/></p>
<p>Although he was back on the water being rocked side to side by the rough Isle waves again, Harry's stomach found itself settled comfortably. Or, at least, he was successful in completely ignoring any physical discomfort as he rowed the small wooden boat around the island rocks. It was difficult to feel sick when he had King Benjamin sitting across from him, adorably rigid with alarm of being on such a small, wobbly boat. He was obviously trying to hide his fear, but he wasn't doing the best job of it. It kept Harry quite amused, though.</p>
<p>It had taken several frustrating and hilarious minutes to persuade Ben to even step into the boat. Ben had asked why they couldn't just take the ship instead and Harry had asked him if he was serious. Ben must not have understood the impracticality of undocking and sailing the entire ship for a mere half-mile-trek around the east end of the island. Not to mention that would completely remove the whole objective of not drawing any attention onto them. Harry had never seen someone so stubbornly distrustful of a boat before, but after firmly managing to convince Ben that it was not going to tip over or sink (and threatening to toss him into the boat himself if he kept being stubborn about it), he finally gathered the courage to step in.</p>
<p>By the time Ben seemed to have finally settled, Harry had rowed around the last small rocky sea stack, underneath a rock arch that signaled where the smoother shore began. Any and all hint of life— buildings or homes— were no longer in sight. You couldn't even see Auradon from this side of the island. They were closed off by a vast wall of cliff rocks and for all they could pretend, they were by themselves on a rocky shore of a secluded island.</p>
<p>"I mean, I've seen this side of the Isle before," Ben said over the crashing of waves against the rocks around them, "But on a ship from a distance. I never thought— I never imagined what it would look like here... from <em>this</em> point of view." He looked up at the tall cliffs in wonder. Harry watched him with a grin. He had to admit, there was something incredibly sublime about this area of the Isle.</p>
<p>The cliff shore came into sight, dipping inward as the sea shallowed out into a gradual transition to a tiny beach of sand and rocks. Harry rowed the boat onto the shore until the bottom scraped to a stop, where he stood up and assisted Ben up and out. Ben had unknowingly left Harry to drag the boat further on the land by himself, while he looked around, enraptured by the vast cliff that towered above them. Harry rejoined him, then gestured to the wall of rocks in front of them.</p>
<p>It was there as it always was. A cavity in the rocks not much larger than one of the ship's cabins. It always looked like some colossal hand had chiseled out the space just for him. At least, that's what he liked to think as a child.</p>
<p>Inside, there was enough space for the two of them, plus, Harry's minimal belongings that always resided there. There was a hammock that his father had fastened into the walls of the back of the small cave. It never gave a hint of failing, even after all these years of Harry using it. There was a beaten rug on the ground that didn't give much cushion against the stone ground, but at least it added some extra color. Against the wall was a large trunk chest, which was fastened shut by a lock.</p>
<p>"Harry, this place is incredible," Ben muttered. He walked to the back of the cave, next to the hammock where, leaning up against the wall, were a pair of wooden swords. He was quiet as he studied them and Harry felt a weird sensation seeing him interact with his childhood belongings. He watched Ben move over to the hammock and he looked back at Harry with a boyish excitement</p>
<p>"May I?" Ben asked. And Harry gestured his approval with a grin and a nod of his head.</p>
<p>"Be my guest," he said and watched as Ben turned to sit in the hammock, his legs dangling off the side.</p>
<p>"I've always wanted a hammock," Ben said as he lightly swung. Harry bit back a retort of how he's always wanted a decent bed. Or clean, running water. Or virtually anything Ben grew up with. But maybe that was too cynical to convey as a joke. Hmm. Harry had to bite back a chuckle too. Just... let the boy enjoy the hammock.</p>
<p>Ben gave another look around before asking, "Do you still come here a lot?"</p>
<p>"From time to time. You know, if I need to relax without the interference of anyone else," Harry moved to lean on the rocky wall of the cave near the hammock, "Although, if I'm being honest, it hasn't been the happiest place the last few years."</p>
<p>"Oh," There was a quiet surprise in his tone, "Why's that?"</p>
<p>He shrugged his shoulders, peering around the walls of the cave to admire small, carved patterns that hadn't changed since his childhood.</p>
<p>"I think it's <em>because</em> I only come here to be alone now," Harry admitted. His eyes fell back to Ben's and Harry could feel a mutual sincerity sparking between them as Ben waited for him to elaborate. "Whereas, before, I would come here to be with the people that were closest to me. Mostly my dad and Uma and... Jay." Harry's voice wavered at the mention of Jay's name. He almost wanted to apologize for saying it, as if acknowledging his existence right now would be as damaging between Harry and Ben as his physical presence was the night of the ball. But aside from an awkward, brief drop of eye contact, Ben didn't really stagger at the reminder of Harry's history with Jay.</p>
<p>Harry subconsciously toyed with the sharp tip of his hook as he went on saying, "It was strange coming here after my dad died. But I still had my friends. Then Uma became captain of the crew and was far too busy to join me. Which was fine, I couldn't blame her. I still had Jay, who came here with me most of the time anyway." Harry looked down, feeling the hook press slightly harder into his finger, "But then he left for Auradon. So I tried bringing Gil for a while. Then the barrier came down and he left too. So... it's just been me." Harry tried to give Ben a cool laugh to draw away from how unintentionally pathetic he sounded, but the piercing of the hook on his finger sharpened suddenly. It made him grimace and he looked down at the mini indention that now joined the grooves of his fingerprint.</p>
<p>He sighed and looked back at Ben, who's eyes had dropped down as well to Harry's finger. He was watchful from where he sat on the hammock. There was a small frown of concern that Harry hated to see. He closed his hand into a light fist, and Ben looked back up, although he was still frowning.</p>
<p>"My apologies," Harry muttered, "I didn't mean for that to sound so pitiful."</p>
<p>"No," Ben shook himself out of the frown, "I can imagine it must be difficult to come here. I'm sorry it's not... as fun as it used to be."</p>
<p>"It's not so bad. I don't <em>hate</em> the solitude. I think I just get reminded sometimes of how different everything is now. I associate this place with people close to me, so remembering that I don't have them around me anymore is just a bit... tragic, I guess."</p>
<p>"So do you..." Ben's eyes darted side to side in thought, "Do you miss the way things were? Before the barrier came down?"</p>
<p>"I don't miss being trapped in this Isle, if that's what you're getting at," Harry huffed a laugh. He moved over to sit down on the large chest against the wall. He stared at the floor in front of him before continuing, "But there was a certain security to the way things were before. A routine, I guess. Although, I <em>am</em> glad there's no more barrier. It's better for everyone," Harry laughed again, although there wasn't much humor to his words, "Plus, it's not like having the barrier up stopped the people closest to me from leaving, anyway."</p>
<p>Harry hated the way that sounded out of his mouth. His muscles stiffened with a sudden anger at himself for sounding so pathetic. The tip of his hook drew circles in the palm of his hand as he pondered his regret for spilling such a distressing lament. But a small part of him was also craving to continue spilling it. It must be Ben's magical powers of pulling out this emotion inside of Harry.</p>
<p>Ben wasn't cursed. But he certainly had something enchanting to him.</p>
<p>"So then," Ben seemed careful about speaking, "Is it Jay that you miss?"</p>
<p>The tip of the hook suddenly stopped mid-circle in Harry's palm. He looked up at Ben. Hesitancy plagued his ability to even consider an answer. No. Yes-... but no. The question was so unexpected for Ben to ask and he hadn't realized until Ben asked it just how much he never wanted Ben to ask it. It wasn't a simple question that had a simple answer. Especially not after what happened two nights ago.</p>
<p>Ben had picked up on Harry's hesitancy and said, "It's okay. You can talk about him. I'm not, like, scarred for life or anything."</p>
<p>The sarcasm in his voice made Harry crack a grin. He decided to tease back, "Are you sure you're not?"</p>
<p>"Well... I mean the image is going to be branded into my head forever and I'll probably see it every time I look at you or Jay for the rest of my life. But no, I'm not <em>scarred</em>." When Harry laughed, Ben's eyes dropped to the ground and he added, "I know he was important to you. And that you two were together." His eyes were darting with careful consideration again. "I don't want there to be anything awkward between us. If you don't want to talk about it that's fine, I just thought maybe we can move past what happened if we actually addressed it."</p>
<p>"Hm," Harry hummed in thought. He placed his hook down beside him and concentrated on the other end of the cave. "Well for one, Jay and I weren't together. We never were." Harry noticed Ben pick his head back up with an unreadable interest. Harry went on. "We were close and we did a lot together, but we weren't anything more than friends. Even if we did things that maybe crossed the lines of a... <em>standard</em> friendship." Ben shifted awkwardly where he sat. Understandably, as for Harry, this wasn't exactly the most comforting, casual topic to explain to someone like Ben.</p>
<p>"Did you <em>want</em> a relationship with him?"</p>
<p>The hesitancy returned. Again, it was a complicated answer.</p>
<p>"I... No. But..." Harry didn't know why it was so difficult for him to be honest, "But also yes. I mean, I didn't care how we labeled what we had. Whether he was a friend or a boyfriend. Jay was always weird about relationships; commitment was never his strong point and he wasn't the most emotional person. I mean, the most sentimental thing he ever did was give me that damn handkerchief. Even when we <em>were</em> physical, he'd keep himself very emotionally distant. I guess that was his way of assuring me he didn't want to be anything more. And I was fine with that. So no. I didn't really care for a relationship with him. I think I just wanted the assurance that he'd always be there when I needed him. I couldn't bear the thought of losing anyone else close to me. Not after my dad."</p>
<p>Harry now had a hard time looking at Ben, but he could feel the strength of Ben's gaze watching him. It was comforting to have his presence and while Harry still felt embarrassed about opening up about this, the magnet in Ben made it difficult to hold it back.</p>
<p>"Then, of course, he did leave," Harry breathed out a long sigh, "And I don't think he'll ever know how much that hurt. It's not like I'd ever tell him, though. It wouldn't do anyone any good now. I'm well over it." Harry rubbed his hands on his pants in a nonchalant manner. "I guess to answer your first question; no. I don't miss Jay. We had a good friendship and I do miss some of the fun, carefree moments we had, but I wouldn't go back to it."</p>
<p>"You wouldn't?"</p>
<p>Harry shook his head. "I'm not really one for trying to revive broken friendships like that. We've both moved on," Harry shrugged one shoulder, "So long as things are peaceful between us, I'm fine."</p>
<p>"Peaceful..." Ben repeated, which was spoken with a dry trace of shrewd disbelief. Harry saw the shrewdness creeping up to Ben's eyes as well. They were narrowed slightly and the teasing look made Harry suddenly want to throw something at him. His hook, maybe. But he withheld the urge.</p>
<p>"Yes. <em>Peaceful</em>," Harry sneered, "I realize my actions on Saturday may have said otherwise, but I guarantee I don't want anything more than peace with Jay." Harry scoffed a laugh as Ben's grin widened half a centimeter. "The only reason I tried to sleep with him, anyway, is because I was wasted and distracting meself from a terrible heartbreak." Harry picked his hook back up and ran a nail over the metal curve, ready to actually throw it at Ben if he decided to try and be clever again. But Ben's chuckle at Harry's assurance had morphed into a genuine curiosity.</p>
<p>"Heartbreak?" He asked. The sudden, innocent interest in his expression made Harry's sneer widen.</p>
<p>"Yes, Ben. You broke me poor heart! You can't ask a lad to dance with you, show him around your castle, and then ignore him suddenly without warning."</p>
<p>Red flooded Ben's face, which he tried to hide by looking downward with an embarrassed wince. "Oh, God... Harry, I— I said I was <em>sorry</em>. I feel terrible, okay? I'm—"</p>
<p>"I know, I know," Harry lessened his sneer, "But you're the one that said we should address the problems to move past them."</p>
<p>Ben was still wincing, "Okay. You're right. I <em>am</em> sorry though."</p>
<p>Harry chuckled, "I know you are. You even gifted me an exquisite pocket watch just to prove it." He felt an uplifting warmth at the sight of Ben's embarrassment shift to blushing. Of course, he was desperately trying to hide it. It almost made Harry want to torment him with sappy compliments until it was impossible for him to continue hiding it.</p>
<p>"I'm glad you like it," Ben said, "Although, I didn't want it to seem like I was replacing your old one, in case it held sentimental value or something."</p>
<p>"Oh, no. There's no sentimental value to this piece of junk at all," Harry said, pulling out the old pocket watch from his coat. The glass was cracked and half of the bronze gilding was chipped off to reveal the cheap material it was made of. The second hand was making its way around and the hour hand was relatively where it was supposed to be. The minute hand, however, was stuck on the twelve. He wasn't ever going to fix it. And there definitely was no point now that Ben had given him a new one. A far nicer one in every aspect, as well. "Trust me, I'm very happy to finally retire this. Which— I guess I can officially do so right now."</p>
<p>Harry slid off the large trunk chest he had been sitting on and turned to unlock it. Inside was a partially organized collection of different trinkets and shells and letters and jewelry. He felt Ben peering over from atop the hammock as he lifted it open.</p>
<p>"Huh. I was wondering what you had in there."</p>
<p>Harry tilted his head. "It's certainly not a proper pirate's treasure chest. It's mostly just more junk that Jay and I would steal from the markets. Nothing of much value. But it's fun keepsakes, I guess." Harry tossed in the old pocket watch, which landed beside a dusty, bronze goblet. To the right of that, in the corner, was a less-than-elegant arrangement of several half-empty liquor bottles. Harry turned back and smiled with shameless guilt, "...This is also where I keep the goods that I don't quite want to share with the rest of the crew."</p>
<p>Harry was about to close it when Ben's voice stopped him.</p>
<p>"What's that?"</p>
<p>"...What?"</p>
<p>"That," Ben repeated, and he slid off the hammock to join Harry's side. Harry felt a spike of uncertainty at Ben reaching into the chest and he suddenly knew exactly what Ben was reaching for. Mostly hidden by the liquor bottles was another small, clear glass bottle, the size of a vile, sealed by a cork at the top. Filling a third of the bottle was golden, glittering sand, which gave a subtle glow as Ben picked it up, unintentionally stirring the contents. Another spike of uncertainty shot through him as he watched Ben examining it.</p>
<p>"Is this..." Ben frowned with near-exciting interest, "Pixie dust?"</p>
<p>Harry considered lying, but what else could he try to pass it off as? And besides, there was no way Ben was aware of what pixie dust was recreationally used for. No one outside of the pirate crew that owned it (and by Harry's doing, Jay) was aware. So Harry didn't have anything to worry about as far as Ben knowing he had Neverland's stellar magical substance. Still, the sight of Ben— the King— holding Harry's bottle of pixie dust in his hand, was unsettling. And in a way kind of funny.</p>
<p>"...Aye."</p>
<p>"Oh shit," Ben examined it closer, "Who did you get this from?"</p>
<p>"The Jolly Roger had plenty of it before the barrier came up. So, now we have it."</p>
<p>"Wow. I didn't think anyone actually <em>had</em> this stuff."</p>
<p>"How um—" Harry frowned, "How familiar <em>are</em> you with pixie dust?"</p>
<p>"I know what it <em>does</em>, Harry," Ben said in a tone so assured it was surprising, "As a King I have to be pretty informed about all of the magical matter that could be coming into the kingdom."</p>
<p>"Oh," Harry furrowed his eyebrows. The idea that there was some administrative knowledge about the intoxicative properties of pixie dust didn't sit too comfortably with Harry. He had been sure that the pirates that came from Neverland were the only ones who knew about and trifled with pixie dust. Keeping it out of the eyes of the Auradon council was the sole reason they didn't tell anyone about it. Pirates liked their intoxicative remedies. All it took was for everyone to find out about it for it to be ripped away from them. It was honestly shocking that the council was, indeed, aware. Surely, it would have been illegal by now.</p>
<p>"Although," Ben continued, "I've never seen it in person." He swirled the bottle again and another brief glow of gold flashed at the stir. Then he looked up at Harry with a leery curiosity and asked, "Have you ever tried it?"</p>
<p>To be asked that by the King himself was rather discomforting. But Ben seemed far more interested and excited than upset by Harry's possession of it. Maybe the King had more of a rebellious side than Harry gave him credit for. And it wasn't <em>illegal</em>, after all.</p>
<p>"...Aye." Harry answered honestly. Of course he had tried it. He "tried" it very frequently.</p>
<p>"What's it like?" Ben's fascination doubled. He looked amazed. "I've always wanted to know but I never knew anyone that's actually used it before."<br/>Again, it was an alarming question, and Harry still felt a tinge of hesitancy to answer. But it was almost exciting to see Ben so accepting and engaging.</p>
<p>"It's... definitely better than alcohol that's for sure," Harry laughed which made Ben's excitement falter.</p>
<p>"Huh? What do you mean by that?"</p>
<p>"Well for one, it's a <em>thousand</em> times more effective in helping you forget you live on a prison. And there's no hangover."</p>
<p>Harry had said it mostly as a joke. An honest joke— but a joke nonetheless— for Ben to laugh at and continue his engagement. But he had stilled. And Harry quickly realized that Ben was not on the same page as him. At all.</p>
<p>"Wait..." Ben frowned, "<em>What</em>?"</p>
<p>He was watching Harry with a deep concentration and Harry saw every nuance in Ben's expression that indicated things were clicking for him. A nervousness swelled inside Harry at the realization of his own mistake and regret of being totally honest. Huh. Maybe he should not have let his guard down and assumed Ben actually <em>did</em> know everything about pixie dust.</p>
<p>"I— Uh—" Harry was also realizing he was really bad at lying. Especially after just outing himself. Ben stared at Harry. Then back at the pixie dust for a long moment. Then back at Harry.</p>
<p>"Harry. Why do I feel like we aren't talking about the same thing?"</p>
<p>"I... have no idea what you mean," Harry said without a sliver of convincing energy to his voice, "Now, could you please... give that back to me?"</p>
<p>"Harry... What exactly is this?" Ben said, blatantly ignoring his request of returning it.</p>
<p>"It's... <em>pixie dust</em>."</p>
<p>"Okay. But what is it <em>used</em> for?"</p>
<p>"Obviously, flying. To get to Neverland."</p>
<p>"And that's it?"</p>
<p>"Yes. That's... it." Harry's voice rose in tone.</p>
<p>"And you said you've tried it?"</p>
<p>"...Aye."</p>
<p>Ben's eyes narrowed. "So you've flown and gone to Neverland?"</p>
<p>Harry couldn't recall ever being cornered with questions like this. He didn't like it. Especially not knowing whether or not Ben had completely caught onto the truth of the matter at this point. There really wasn't a point in trying to lie his way out of it, even if he knew how.</p>
<p>"Are we talking physically?" Harry squinted comically, hoping that if Ben was going to figure it out anyway, he could at least do so with some humor, "...Or <em>spiritually</em>?"</p>
<p>Ben did not laugh at all. Once it had fully clicked he could only blink in astonishment. They stood there for several dismayed seconds before Ben finally sputtered his response.</p>
<p>"Oh my God. Harry. Do you get <em>high</em> off of this?"</p>
<p>"I—" Harry briefly considered sprinting to the boat and sailing back before Ben could catch him. No one would find the King if he left him here. "I never explicitly said that."</p>
<p>"You're joking, right? I can't fucking believe this." Obviously, blatant denial was not working for Harry. Ben kept sputtering, "This is—... <em>pixie dust</em>. Real, life, pixie dust. That's supposed to take you to Neverland. And you— you use it to get high. I— <br/>You— You just admitted that you use drugs. To me. <br/>I'm— I'm the <em>King</em>, Harry. You just admitted to the <em>King</em> that you use drugs."</p>
<p>"Aye, I kinda realize that now," Harry scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "This... This really isn't me finest moment, I must say. You made it seem like you were aware."</p>
<p>"NO I wasn't aware! What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?" Ben's eyes were widened and filled with alarm as he held up the bottle.</p>
<p>"Um... You could give it back to me?"</p>
<p>"What the fuck am I supposed to do with this <em>information</em>!"</p>
<p>Harry winced, "Maybe, just pretend you didn't hear anything?"</p>
<p>"I have DRUGS in my hand right now! There are drugs in my kingdom. This is serious."</p>
<p>"I think you're overreacting just a tad," Harry tried, but when Ben's alarm seemed to double at the statement, Harry continued quickly, "I mean, you're welcome to try it and see that it's harmless."</p>
<p>"I'm not going to SNORT Pixie dust, Harry— or whatever the fuck you do with this! Are you crazy? I have no idea how safe this is?"</p>
<p>"You don't have to snort it. I prefer mixing it with a drink. And as far as its safety... I'm not dead yet."</p>
<p>"You are unbelievable. This is unbelievable." Ben took a deep breath, which seemed to relatively shift his stern panic into something more baffled. "You're lucky you're my friend and you have so much dirt on me, otherwise I'd have to throw you in jail for drug possession."</p>
<p>"Throw me in jail over minor recreational drug use?" Harry shook his head disapprovingly, "Wow Ben, I thought you were a more progressive King than that." Ben took another deep breath. The humor was clearly sliding past Ben like water on oil. Harry decided to add more logically, "Besides, pixie dust isn't illegal."</p>
<p>"I had no idea this was a <em>thing</em> until one goddamn minute ago! Who else knows about this?"</p>
<p>"Just the pirates. Seriously. It's not a big deal. We've kept it to ourselves for this long now. We can keep doing so, so long as you... slowly forget about all of this..." Ben covered his face. Harry's only comfort lay in the fact that this wasn't the <em>most</em> panicked he'd seen the King.</p>
<p>"It's not that simple. I have to report this. This is... a matter of the public's health."</p>
<p>"The public's health?" Harry scoffed, "If our health mattered so much, I wouldn't have had to grow up eating rotting food. I'd have died sooner from starvation or drinking contaminated water than anything else." At that, Harry snatched the bottle out of Ben's hands, which wasn't met with much protest. "But God-forbid we have a bit of harmless fun with pixie dust to distract us from the awful Isle-life."</p>
<p>Ben made a noise of opposition. From the way he frowned, Harry could tell Ben saw his point. Ben wasn't exactly on board, but his panic had subsided some.</p>
<p>Harry narrowed an eye and added, "Also, it shocks me you so strongly disapprove of this when you were giving out loads of champagne for free at your ball. I don't see how that's any different, Ben."</p>
<p>Another noise of opposition. This one was more gruff and full of anguish. Ben turned away to think. Harry was prepared to continue offering arguments, but Ben's desire to persist in his objection seemed to have shriveled away. Ben's hands covered his face and his breathing hardened. He wavered back toward the hammock and flopped down into an exhausted sit, head in his hands, and elbows resting on his knees. The only other time Harry saw him looking this distressed was right before his meltdown in the Enchanted Lake. Harry looked back down at the bottle in his hand and grimaced with uncomfortable guilt.</p>
<p>"<em>Fuck</em>," Ben swore in a harsh whisper. Harry had an impulse to apologize since the feeling of seeing Ben so affected by something he did was awful. But... he didn't think he had anything to apologize for.</p>
<p>"What am I supposed to do?" Ben still hid his face, "I have no fucking idea."</p>
<p>A long silence. Harry tilted his head. "You don't have to do anything." He wasn't saying that just because that would be <em>his</em> ideal outcome. He really meant it.</p>
<p>"If my father found out about this he wouldn't rest until every ounce of that stuff was out of the public's possession. You'd be in jail. Anyone that had it would be in jail. He'd be furious..."</p>
<p>For the first time in that moment, Harry felt a pulse of uneasy fear disturb him. Harry toyed with the bottle in his hand as he thought deeply. He asked. "And do you think that's what should be done?"</p>
<p>"I don't know. It doesn't matter what I think." His voice grew heavier.</p>
<p>"You're the King. What you think is kinda <em>all</em> that matters." Ben shook his head, but he stayed quiet so Harry asked, "What would you <em>want</em> to do? Dad's opinion aside."</p>
<p>"I don't know," He groaned again, "I don't want to do anything. I don't fucking care."</p>
<p>"You don't care?"</p>
<p>"No. And that's the problem. I don't care about it. I don't care about anything. My dad's right; I'm not taking any of my responsibilities seriously. How can I when I just don't fucking care?"</p>
<p>Harry stared at the pixie dust for a long while before releasing a sigh and putting it back into the trunk chest. He closed the chest and moved to the hammock, gesturing for Ben to make space before he sat beside him. The focus of Ben's stress had clearly devolved from the pixie dust, which, despite his remaining discomfort on the topic, he was more than willing to keep the subject at a distance. So he waited patiently and offered nothing except his physical presence beside the King. They sat there for what felt like an hour before Ben's quiet voice cracked through the silence.</p>
<p>"I don't love her, Harry."</p>
<p>Ben had picked his head up with a look of anguish fixated on the space in front of him.</p>
<p>"I don't love her. I want to, and I hope I can. But it's so hard to try. It's <em>exhausting</em> to try. And.. I do care about her. But if the way that I felt under the love spell is what love is supposed to feel like..." Ben shook his head. This was clearly very difficult for him to admit. "Then I don't love her."</p>
<p>Harry watched him for a long time. His heart beat heavier at Ben's internal misery suddenly spilling out. He wanted to lean into him. To close the mere inches of space that lay between them. His body begged to do so. But he just simply asked:</p>
<p>"And what did it feel like? Under the spell?"</p>
<p>"It felt perfect. All I wanted was to be with her. When I'd see her I'd feel this intense longing to hold her and be as close as possible to her. And to kiss her." He huffed a deep breath, "I don't feel any of that now. Being with her feels like— like another job."</p>
<p>"And that's how it felt like with Audrey, too?" Harry held a considerate eye on Ben.</p>
<p>"It's the same thing. I never felt... excited to be with her. I never felt that desire or passion. She was an ideal match for any royal family and it felt like what I was supposed to do. But that's it. That's the only thing that kept me with her. But I also never knew I could feel something more for someone until I was spelled by Mal. So it was easier to convince myself I was fine with her up until that point," Ben closed his eyes and ran a hand over his defeated face, "I can't do that anymore. Not with Mal. Not after experiencing what love is supposed to feel like. And I hate that I can't because I do care so much for Mal. She's amazing. There's no reason why I should feel this... uninterested in our relationship."</p>
<p>"You can't blame yourself if you're not attracted to her. You can't force attraction—"</p>
<p>"-But I mean. No." Ben cut him off, "I do think she's attractive. I think she's very attractive, obviously, I—" Ben frowned in a visible frustration and sudden surprising defensiveness at the idea, "I just—..."</p>
<p>Harry's heart suddenly dropped. And the pieces that had been laying at the back of Harry's mind since the Enchanted Lake were now forming together perfectly in front of him. He had thought it. He had considered it. He had even <em>felt</em> it. But it wasn't until just now that Harry was actually seeing it. In the form of an image right in front of him that he couldn't rationally look past.</p>
<p>Oh, Ben...</p>
<p>"Finding someone to be attractive and being attracted to them are two very different things, Ben."</p>
<p>Harry awaited any sort of response, but Ben had stilled. He was staring at his hands, watching his own fingers laced together and pressing against one another in a restless, almost beaten fashion. After another minute of that, when it was clear he wasn't going to respond, Harry decided to attentively proceed.</p>
<p>"So. You don't feel anything for Mal. And you never felt anything for Audrey." Harry was searching carefully for a way to word what he wanted to say. It wasn't easy deciding on whether or not he should outright suggest to Ben what he heavily suspected was going on. To put the image together in front of Ben as it was in front of Harry. But the idea of putting something like that out there, right in front of Ben— forcing him to address it (should he not shut down in complete denial, making everything so much worse)— felt terrifying.</p>
<p>This was very different from his conversation with Gil years ago, who had essentially outright admitted to not being attracted to women. It was far easier for him, despite having a father who could only imagine his son as a womanizer like himself. At least Gil was raised in an environment that gave him an open understanding of sexuality. And aside from dampening an already-poor relationship with his father, Gil didn't have anything to lose by acknowledging and exploring who he was. But Ben... Ben was the King of Auradon. Who's entire life and career depended on strict traditional guidelines. Even if Harry hated the idea of it, he could understand why Ben would have such a deep-rooted denial regarding who he was and wasn't attracted to.</p>
<p>And it made sense that his denial could grow tenfold if Harry were to blatantly make the suggestion.</p>
<p>"Has there—" Harry hesitated, carefully watching him, "...ever been anyone you've felt something for?"</p>
<p>Again, Harry had thought it, considered it, and felt it all this time. But it wasn't until Ben looked up at him, into his eyes, with an expression pained with his own self-doubt, that Harry could see the real answer. And his stomach turned.</p>
<p>"I—" Ben's eyes bounced between Harry's eyes before he looked toward the entrance of the cave, where the ocean was rolling and glistening just beyond, "...I don't know."</p>
<p>The air became so still that Harry could have sworn he could feel the watch in his pocket ticking. It didn't matter what words Ben answered with. The answer wasn't given through any words. It was given the moment Ben came to his ship, certain Harry had cursed him because of his inability to stop thinking about him. It was given when Ben insisted Harry attend the ball with a Royal Invite and paid for his tailored suit. It was given when he left his own party for over an hour to be alone with Harry. When he danced with him in the garden and his eyes fell down to his lips. When he lashed out after seeing Harry with Jay.</p>
<p>And now. Sneaking away again just to be in his company. Giving him a brand new pocket watch. With that one look from Ben, Harry finally resolved what he had longed to since the moment he first pondered his own feelings for him.</p>
<p>He had yearned for the answer. He had yearned for Ben to give him some sort of sign that everything he had felt for the King had been mutual. That he wasn't going crazy with every assumption that Ben's actions were more than just naive, overly-friendly gestures. That they were gestures of real feelings, much like the feelings that Harry felt for <em>him.</em></p>
<p>Everything had fallen into place just now. At last.</p>
<p>This is all Harry had wanted to know.</p>
<p>So why was his stomach turning in pain?</p>
<p>Why was his body tense, and why was his heart trying so desperately, and so anxiously to break through his chest? Why did it feel like his lungs were struggling to grasp oxygen from the air he was sucking in?</p>
<p>He couldn't stop staring at Ben beside him. His impulse battled between the urge to wrap his arms around him and hold him closer than ever, and running away as quickly and as far from him as possible.</p>
<p>He wanted to tell Ben everything. To turn to him, look him in the eyes, and admit every single feeling he had come to experience for him. To tell him how badly he wanted to hold him and kiss him. But as certain as Harry was that Ben had the same feelings for him, he was equally as certain that Ben probably didn't even realize it himself. And the pain and frustration of having to accept that was agonizing.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry," Ben said abruptly, which made Harry frown further, "I bet all of my problems sound incredibly superficial. I'm complaining about my life while I live in a castle. People would kill to be where I am, and I know I should be more grateful."</p>
<p>Harry almost missed what Ben said, but he managed to pull himself out of the spiral of emotional dread he was falling into, and returned his attention to the present. He forced the new feelings to the back of his mind. As much as he wanted to sit on it for hours and ponder everything, he wanted more to return to the present. With Ben.</p>
<p>He made a noise of disapproval to Ben's words and said, "Don't apologize for that. No one should be discouraged from wanting things to be better; It doesn't matter how good other people think ya' have it. Besides, <em>I</em> certainly wouldn't kill to be in your position. Starving isn't so bad if it means I don't have to marry someone I don't love."</p>
<p>Harry hadn't fully intended for it to be funny, but Ben still huffed out a small breath of laughter. It was a laughter full of realized poignancy, and it made Harry do the same, grinning in guilt of his unintentional back-handed words of support.</p>
<p>"Thanks, Harry," Ben said. Guilt aside, it was nice seeing more of Ben's anguish wane away. Harry wished he could offer him actual guidance. But how could he advise Ben to consider leaving Mal? Even if that was what Harry genuinely believed was best for Ben, he could never sit comfortably having any part in an action that veiled benefits for himself as well. It felt wrong. All he could do was sit there and offer his assurance and limited emotional wisdom.</p>
<p>And, maybe some teasing to bring Ben's adorable smile back to his face.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry you're going through this, Ben. I wish I could help you more."</p>
<p>"It's fine." It pained Harry to see Ben shrug in apathy, while his eyes held so much defeat. Harry sighed, longing for his smile to come back.</p>
<p>"I can't offer you a solution. But..." His lips fought back his slight, teasing grin, "I might have something that could... well... make you feel a <em>whole</em> lot better." Unfortunately that didn't bring back his smile, but his immediate displeasure was just as adorable.</p>
<p>"Harry I swear to God if you're about to suggest pixie dust I'm going to throw you in jail myself."</p>
<p>Harry laughed, which luckily influenced that smile out of Ben. It felt like the ocean outside glistened brighter at the sight. Even if Harry was experiencing an unfamiliar surge of pain looking at Ben, knowing there was an unspoken, mutual yearning between them, he was glad he could at least bask in the comfort of Ben's smile. It didn't take much emotional sacrifice to do <em>that</em>.</p>
<p>Well, maybe just a little.</p>
<p>"Oh, shit, I completely forgot," Ben fretted suddenly, and Harry watched him grab the backpack he had brought with him, digging through it. "I brought you something else. Or... I brought <em>us</em> something."</p>
<p>"More gifts?" Harry was about to uncomfortably protest, but Ben quickly pulled out a smaller bag. And in that bag, two wrapped sandwiches. With another abashed smile, Ben handed one to Harry, which he took with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, you brought me food? Well that's very charitable of you, Ben."</p>
<p>He gasped a laugh, "I brought you the finest Auradon cuisine. It's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I wanted you to finally try one."</p>
<p>Harry stared at the wrapped sandwich in his hands. It was the cleanest sandwich he'd ever seen in his life with perfectly fluffy, squared-cut bread surrounding a perfectly even spread of peanut butter and jelly. Although the Isle had eaten far better since the barrier came down, being handed a prepared fresh meal like this was a new sensation. Being handed the food by Ben, knowing Ben had made it specifically for him was an even stronger sensation.</p>
<p>And looking at Ben now and seeing his smile come back multiplied the sensation by a hundred. It multiplied everything he had felt for him before now. His insides were fluttering about everywhere.</p>
<p>This person beside him was so beautiful and so seemingly flawless. The moment they shared was equally as beautiful and flawless. In the hideout cave, alone. Side by side on the hammock. The ocean waves blanketing the sparkling sand just beyond them. Sharing lunch together. It was perfect.</p>
<p>It <em>should</em> be perfect.</p>
<p>As Harry stared into Ben's eyes, he realized he could finally see what he had looked for so desperately. The wall Ben had built around himself was still there. But now, it had turned to glass, and Harry could see through it perfectly. Everything was so clear. And the wall was no longer indestructible. It was almost begging to be shattered.</p>
<p>And Harry wanted nothing more than that. He was so close to that.</p>
<p>He could feel how close he was to breaking through that glass wall.</p>
<p>He could also feel how vigorously his heart was beating at the thought of it. The pain in his stomach. It should be perfect. He should feel like he was in heaven right now.</p>
<p>And he did. He really did feel in heaven with Ben.</p>
<p>But maybe heaven was more terrifying than he realized.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Don't do pixie dust, kids.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. A Prize For Rotten Judgment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>[CW: Minor/Moderate non-canon-typical violence. And some vulgar language 😬]</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Seeing Harry back in his regular pirate attire had almost blindsided Ben. When he saw him step off the ship in his hat, tailcoat, and ripped up shirt and pants, he half-expected him to act in the same manner as the first time Ben snuck out to meet him. Aggressive. Threatening. Sneering. The intimacy Harry showed at the ball made Ben unknowingly associate that side of him with his clean-cut suit. As if Harry in a suit were a different person than Harry in a pirate hat. Of course, Harry wasn't his clothes. Harry was Harry. And even if it shocked Ben initially to see him presented so drastically different from two nights ago (or even the previous morning), the concern over his regular rough, intimidating get up immediately melted away the second he had started speaking, anyway.</p>
<p>Because this was who Harry was, and it was so nice to be with this "version" again. And it was nice seeing him carrying his hook again. It was so nice seeing him like this that Ben forgot there was ever a time he had been genuinely terrified of the pirate. </p>
<p>He unknowingly had a difficult time keeping his eyes off of him the entire trek back through the Isle. They had just returned from Harry's hideout— docking the rowboat in an area away from the ship out of the worry of one of the pirates recognizing Ben with Harry— and made for Ben's hidden car. Harry had offered to escort Ben through the less populated area of the Isle, which Ben graciously took. Now, they were making their way through somewhere in the outskirts of the downtown area. They were surrounded by tall, graffitied alleyways and run-down, poor excuses for civilian homes. Maneuvering through these areas made Ben incredibly grateful for Harry's presence. Not so much because he feared getting robbed again, but because if someone were to recognize him, he would fully expect them to want to kill him for being partially responsible for these terrible conditions.</p>
<p>"Could you at least try to act like you live here?" Harry's voice pulled Ben's eyes off the surrounding construction, "I swear it looks like <em>you're</em> on the fun tour, now."</p>
<p>"Uh.. Do I really look like I'm having <em>fun</em> right now?" Ben could have sworn the stress was clear on his face.</p>
<p>"Maybe not <em>fun</em>, but it sure looks like you've never been here before."</p>
<p>This wasn't the first time Ben's snuck through the Isle, but even the last time, when he managed to slip into the persona of an Isle citizen, he was still recognized. Harry had a point.</p>
<p>"Fine, I'll... slouch or something," Ben muttered, trying to fix his posture in the manner which Evie, Carlos, and Jay had instructed him three years ago. He could feel Harry watching him out of the corner of his eye.</p>
<p>"Never mind," Harry winced, "Don't try. Just stick to keeping your head down."</p>
<p>Ben snorted, "What? You think I can't be a natural, intimidating villain of the Isle?"</p>
<p>"No," Harry said, "I <em>know</em> you can't. You can't be an intimidating <em>anything</em>."</p>
<p>Ben frowned, slightly offended. "Is it the outfit? Do I need more leather?"</p>
<p>Harry looked Ben over, seemingly in his own deep analysis. He sighed and said, "With a face like that, it'll take more than leather and rags to bring you anything close to intimidating."</p>
<p>"Ouch. Fine." Ben grumbled, although he was unsure if Harry had actually insulted him or complimented him. He put on his best sneer, eyeing Harry as he walked beside him, and snickered, "I'll make sure to bring <em>eyeliner</em> next time, then."</p>
<p>Harry shot him a look and there wasn't another second of hesitation before he reeled around, turning on Ben with dark eyes that shot a malevolent, furious warning. Ben's heart leapt out of his throat and the sudden sharp pang in his stomach was multiplied by the sharp end of Harry's hook pressing itself into the center of his chest. Harry pushed toward Ben, forcing Ben to take stunned, regretful steps back, seeing nothing except the evil eyes that Ben no longer recognized as his friend anymore. He was inches from his face. His jaw clenched and he sang his warning with a low, seething, and villainous string of words.</p>
<p>"If you say one more goddamn thing about me eyeliner that doesn't include the words 'beautiful' or 'astounding' I will row you back to the cliffs and throw yer body out for the sharks," His hook travelled up to the side of Ben's face, "But not until after hookin' ya'. Ya' hear me?"</p>
<p>Ben's body had frozen at the drastic 180 of Harry's demeanor. Nothing could have prepared him for seeing his friend so abruptly twist into the terrifying pirate he had forgotten he was capable of being. He was speechless. Eyes widened and tongue unable to form a response.</p>
<p>Then, every ounce of malice dropped from the pirate's expression. Ben's friend was back as quickly as he'd left, staring into his alarmed eyes with a newly satisfied smile. He chuckled a breathy chuckle which contained only a dash of guilt.</p>
<p>"See? <em>That's</em> what it takes to be intimidating."</p>
<p>"Fucking. Hell. Harry." Ben's body was still rigid with alarm. It wasn't until Harry removed his hook that a heavy breath— which he hadn't realized he was holding in— was forced out of Ben's lungs.</p>
<p>"Oh sorry, did I scare ya' too much? I guess the eyeliner really is the trick." Harry smirked a laugh before stepping away from Ben and carrying back in the direction they were going originally. Ben steadied his heart rate before following after. Harry spun around to face him again, walking backwards so he could analyze the King, "Although, I think it'd just make you prettier."</p>
<p>Every muscle in Ben's body instantly grew rigid again. But this time it was for a different reason. Heat rose up the back of his neck. Again, he had trouble forming words. He knew Harry was just teasing him, but he couldn't help feeling completely caught off-guard. And there was a sense of gratifying pleasure from hearing him say it.</p>
<p>He intended on responding, but then he saw a flash of what he could have sworn was regret on Harry's face. His grin had dropped and, right before Harry turned back forward, Ben caught a glimpse of another expression. A troubled expression that matched the one Harry wore back in the cave.</p>
<p>Ben hadn't said anything since virtually every second of their moment in the cave together had been complete whiplash. From the depressing and uncomfortable discussion over Jay, to the goddamn pixie dust (which he was desperately trying to pretend he hadn't learned about), to Mal... There was trouble in Harry's eyes that pained Ben to see. Even as they ate their lunch together, in the moments which should have been simply peaceful, Harry acted as though there was a continuous discomfort under his skin.</p>
<p>And it was back now. Ben wanted to ask about it, but deep down, he felt an unexplainable reluctance to. As if his mind were telling him he was either overthinking it, or that it wouldn't do any good to press the issue. Whatever the reason, Ben was reluctant to ask. Besides, he wasn't free of his <em>own</em> troubles.</p>
<p>His own admittance of not loving Mal had brought an indisposition that made him nearly regret doing so in the first place. And Harry's follow up questions had struck him in a way that he didn't want to think about. All he could find himself doing was not thinking about it. The questions and remarks repeating over and over again in his head, yet he desperately kept any analytical thinking at bay.</p>
<p>
  <em>'You can't force attraction.'</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>'Finding someone to be attractive and being attracted to them are two very different things, Ben.'</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Has there ever been anyone you've felt something for?'</em>
</p>
<p>Ben held his eyes on Harry, and he felt his hands shaking as he walked several paces behind him. He had lost his own smile now, forgetting Harry had said anything including the word "pretty". He swallowed his sudden discomfort and took the next few strides quickly to fall back in step beside him.</p>
<p>"Where exactly are we?" Ben asked to move along the subject.</p>
<p>Harry glanced at him with his casual grin back on his face, although Ben could still see some of that trouble remaining behind his eyes. "Don't worry, Your Majesty, you'll be in the safety of your car in another half-mile or so. We're actually just by the chip shop. It's right around the block." Harry gestured up ahead to a wider intersection of the alleyway, "Of course, we won't be stopping by unless you want to say hi to Uma."</p>
<p>"Yeah, I'd rather not," Ben gave an uncomfortable smile. He quickly remembered Uma's skeptical glares at Ben that felt nearly as accusatory as Jay's. He didn't want Uma to join Jay in the category of people that knew he was sneaking around the Isle.</p>
<p>The two reached the intersection of the alleyway and Ben— neglecting Harry's advice of not acting like a tourist— looked down both paths with curiosity. There were more people down those wider alleys, and just beyond the rows of clotheslines that connected the buildings, Ben caught a glimpse of Uma's chip shop.</p>
<p>He also caught a glimpse of a group of men loitering just outside of it. He was going to bring his eyes back ahead of him, to the alley up ahead where they were going, but one of the men had looked up. Not only had he looked up, but he looked right in the direction of Harry and Ben. And although he was a ways away, Ben could have sworn their eyes locked. With an awkward beat of his heart, he forced his gaze back forward just before he and Harry made it to the next alley.</p>
<p>Paranoia was quick to set in. There was no way he recognized Ben, right? Ben couldn't even make out the man's facial features, so how could the man make out his? No. There was no way. They were fine. They were going to get back to the car and Ben would be back in the castle and no one would know a thing about where the King had been this morning.</p>
<p>They weren't too far down the alleyway when a voice sounded from the intersection they had just passed. And the paranoia had turned to outright dread.</p>
<p>"That's him!"</p>
<p>
  <em>No. Shit. No, there's no way!</em>
</p>
<p>Harry exchanged a glance with Ben, looking more confused than terrified (as Ben was), before he twisted around to meet the approachers. Ben hesitated turning around, but he did, keeping his head pointed as downward as he could, while still managing to analyze the faces of those who had caught them. As suspected, it was the man, backed by his three friends who had been outside the shop as well. The group of men strolled toward them and Ben found himself taking instinctive steps back.</p>
<p>But wait. The men's gazes weren't actually targeting Ben.</p>
<p>They were targeting <em>Harry</em>.</p>
<p>Confusion replaced the fear as he heard Harry utter a sharp "<em>Shit</em>." Harry's body slid closer to Ben, positioning himself slightly in front of him. As if he were attempting to block, or hide the King from the group of men.</p>
<p>"Do you know them?" Ben muttered.</p>
<p>"Sort of," Harry muttered in an even lower voice as they approached, "Do <em>not</em> let them recognize you. Keep walking. I'll see what they want."</p>
<p>"I'm not going to—"</p>
<p>"<em>I'm serious</em>," Harry hissed, but before Ben could even consider abandoning his friend, the four men were already paces away.</p>
<p>"Hook!" Called the same voice that first spoke up. It was friendly in emphasis, but the tone underneath was brimming with threat. "Do you happen to remember us?"</p>
<p>"Aye," Harry cheered, "My dear friends from the chip shop. How could I ever forget?" Harry's greeting was equally amicable, but Ben doubted whatever grounds they knew one another on were really 'friendly'. He tensed and took another step back as the men now stood in front of them. Harry remained firm to face them and Ben mentally applauded the pirate's ability to hold himself so relaxed.</p>
<p>Ben studied the men as much as he could from behind Harry and with his head lowered. All four of them were gruff, middle-aged men with minimal features to drastically differentiate them from one another. Their aged scowls were uniform, leaving only height, hair, and their subtle change in clothes to characterize them. Not that it mattered much to distinguish them, since they all seemed very keen on the goal of confronting Harry all the same.</p>
<p>Harry maintained the friendliness in his voice, although the antagonism was expressed far more blatantly, "I'm delighted to see the four of ya' are still happily together. Going strong. Although I could've sworn there was five of ya'."</p>
<p>"That's exactly why we wanted to talk to you," The taller one spat, "You wouldn't happen to know what went down in the market this morning, would you?" Harry paused and Ben felt an unsettling nervousness growing in his stomach.</p>
<p>"I can't say I'm aware," The fake friendliness had somewhat dropped from Harry's voice. The man on the far left glared at Ben, which shot a cold shudder up his body. The situation was so unsettling it wasn't even <em>that</em> much of a relief when he seemed to not make any recognition.</p>
<p>"Well," The first man stepped closer to Harry with a hardened frown, "The Isle got a visit from a few royal guards. They were looking for a man that apparently stole from the King at the event several weeks ago. I assume you know about that?"</p>
<p>Another wave of cold shuddered up his body and suddenly, Ben became entirely lost.</p>
<p>What? Royal guards came to the Isle? No that didn't happen. Ben <em>never</em> gave the orders for that. He hadn't even—</p>
<p>"I, uh—" Harry looked between the men, "May have heard about that robbery..."</p>
<p>"<em>May</em> have heard about it?" The second man stepped forward as well, "That's funny. Because we <em>definitely</em> heard about it. This morning as they arrested the man there was a lot of talk. And you know <em>what</em> we heard?" The man growled, giving Harry no time to reply, "We heard that the person who stopped the robbery and turned that man in was— get this— a <em>pirate</em>. Oh! And not only was he a <em>pirate</em>; he was none other than the son of <em>Captain Hook</em>."</p>
<p>"Hm," Harry nodded in fake recognition, "Sounds like quite a handsome lad."</p>
<p>'<em>Harry, goddammit</em>.' Ben was shooting daggers that he knew Harry couldn't see, but hoped he could feel. Now was not the time to play the provoking games Harry found so much satisfaction in. He held his breath, and even as the man's frown twisted into a scowl of hatred and he took another step forward, Ben had to hold onto the trust he had for Harry. Harry lived here. He probably dealt with situations like this daily.</p>
<p>Plus, this was all a mistake anyway. Those guards had no order to arrest that man. Harry knew that, didn't he?</p>
<p>"No," The man growled, "He sounds like a <em>traitor</em> to this Isle. A two-faced, dirty pirate with no honor. Can you believe that? A <em>pirate</em> turning in an Isle neighbor for <em>stealing</em>? You're a bootlicker to the goddamn princesses that live in that castle and the spoiled brat they gave a crown to."</p>
<p>Ben felt his nails digging into his palms. Not by the spiteful remark regarding him, although it admittedly stung to hear, but by the way they spoke to Harry. The hatred they held for Harry for doing the job he was asked to do. His mere support of Ben was enough to be hated by his own town. Ben wanted to say something; he wanted to step in and redirect their anger to who should be on the receiving end of it. Him. Not Harry.</p>
<p>His throat tightened, silently begging for some dispersal. But Ben was staring at the muscles on Harry's arms protruding with tension, and anxiety flooded him.</p>
<p>"Careful there, lads," Harry spoke in a terrifyingly controlled tone, "Those are some distasteful words."</p>
<p>
  <em>Harry, don't.</em>
</p>
<p>"And, forgive me," Harry continued, "But I'm failing to see what that has to do with the lot of you and your missing fifth band member."</p>
<p>The man on the far right spoke up. "Unlike you, we can't stand by and watch one of our own get taken away by the royal guards. Our friend stood up for him this morning. And they arrested him too. Apparently disagreeing with the brat-with-the-crown is a crime as well."</p>
<p>Ben frowned, deep into his storm of confusion, and he watched Harry fall into troubled consideration as well. It felt like Harry was trying to share his inquiring look with Ben by the way he slightly turned his head, and Ben wished he could tell him that he was equally as unaware of the situation as he was.</p>
<p>"Well it sounds like there was a misunderstanding," Harry's stare fell back to the men in front of him, "Our Dear King had no intention to punish the man in any sort of way. I remember very clearly he asked for him to be escorted off the event grounds, and nothing more—"</p>
<p>"Well he must have changed his damn mind!" The first one snapped, "Do you really think those Auradon royals are above suddenly waking up one day and deciding to imprison those that wronged them in the past?"</p>
<p>Harry fell silent and Ben was almost put off by his lack of retort. They were wrong. They were completely wrong. He couldn't admit it at the moment, but it pained Ben terribly to listen to these unfiltered, disdainful remarks. He <em>didn't</em> want that man punished. No matter what his mother and father believed. No matter what his mother and father sai—</p>
<p>Wait.</p>
<p>Fuck... <em>Fuck</em>. Why hadn't that first crossed his mind? Maybe because he couldn't have imagined his parents actually doing so. Not something like <em>this</em>.</p>
<p>Could they— Could they really have sent the guards? Behind Ben's back?</p>
<p>Ben was staring at the ground, eyes darting about in realization, when the man stepped even closer to Harry. He spoke in a low, gruff tone full of warning.</p>
<p>"They have no interest in treating us fairly, barrier or no barrier. You're deluded to defend them. And you're even more deluded if you think everyone is going to just stand by and let a <em>narc</em> run around these streets with a head still on his shoulders."</p>
<p>Ben tried desperately to come up with some sort of method for he and Harry to slip away. Before this escalated. He even thought of outright stating who he was and explaining the situation. Or making some royal warning. But Ben was doubtful they would be doing any sort of bowing if he revealed himself without Auradon guards behind him. All he could do was stand there, heart racing and helpless, and pray that Harry managed to talk them down.</p>
<p>"Gentlemen," Harry's tense body told Ben he was merely swallowing his urge to play into the conflict, "As much as I'd love to continue this conversation. I really must be going." The hook in Harry's hand was turning with his anticipation.</p>
<p>"Why?" The man on the left narrowed his eyes, "So you can keep walking around, acting like you're one of us while you go turn in more of our people to your Auradon friends?" The man let out a harsh laugh, then he turned to Ben and sneered, "Did you know your boyfriend here is sucking off the royal bureaucrats?"</p>
<p>Ben felt every ounce of oxygen escape his lungs. His eyes shot to each of the men, watching for every sign that they weren't visually putting together who he was. The ice in his blood became twice as cold and was pumping through his body twice as fast. He didn't know if it was the sudden attention on him, the words they spoke, or the helplessness he felt in keeping the situation under control that was spiking his anxiety. All three, most likely. His faith in Harry's ability to diminish the situation was dwindling. He could see his jaw clenching, his muscles tensing. Every strand of his patience could be seen evaporating off of him.</p>
<p>"Leave him out of this," Harry warned, and he moved in an attempt to stand even further between the group and Ben. It wasn't too successful since there were four of them, but the movement and warning managed to bring most of their attention back to Harry.</p>
<p>"We're just making sure he's aware he's in the company of a traitorous pirate."</p>
<p>"Thanks for your concern," Harry growled, "Now you can piss off."</p>
<p>"You're not even ashamed, are you?" The man responded, disgust painting his scowl, "You're so quick to fall to your knees to the very people that imprisoned your father and forced you to grow up here. So fucking quick to turn in one of your own. As if you're not a pirate who steals for a living. And from those who are already <em>struggling</em> nonetheless. The King has a thousand golden watches and he can get a thousand more. So why do <em>you</em> get to walk around freely while our friend and that man will rot in prison because that royal child got his watch taken from him?"</p>
<p>The air had grown unbreathable at the spiteful tension between Harry and the man.</p>
<p>The man scoffed again, "I can't imagine <em>The</em> Captain Hook would rest easy knowing his own son is siding with the very people that tainted his legacy."</p>
<p>It felt as though every molecule around them had stilled.</p>
<p>Harry's hand balled into a fist and a web of veins jutted out up to his elbow.</p>
<p>"Harry..." Ben begged quietly, his voice wavering with enough fear to convey everything he needed to. Leave it alone. It's not worth it. Let's just go. <em>Please</em>.</p>
<p>Harry spoke in a grim, low articulation when he warned, "You keep my father's name out of your filthy. Fucking. Mouths."</p>
<p>"<em>Our</em> filthy mouths? You're the one licking the boots here. Not us."</p>
<p>"<em>Harry</em>," Ben insisted in a much sharper hiss. He knew he shouldn't be speaking, but he was desperate to redirect Harry's attention. Desperate to snap him out of the intense combative state he was clearly in. And to Ben's relief, Harry's body relaxed. Barely. But it was enough that it coaxed him to further retreat an inch back. Then a step. He kept his eyes on the man in front of him for another few tense seconds, before he turned around back to Ben.</p>
<p>Seeing the look in Harry's eyes was more alarming than when he jokingly threatened Ben just before. This was different. Ben had never seen such raw anger in Harry. The way his eyes glossed over. The way his forehead reddened and lips tightened. He gave one look to Ben and his expression didn't change, but he had taken a deep breath. They shared the look, and Ben tried to convey his appreciation for his retreat. They both were just about to turn and carry on down the alleyway when, to Ben's utter dread, the first man decided on one last provoking remark.</p>
<p>"Tell us, Bootlicker," He sneered, taking another step forward after Harry, "How does spoiled royal cunt taste?"</p>
<p>The vulgar words sent a sword through Ben's chest. His breath caught and there was only half a second between hearing the man's remark and seeing Harry abandon his side to spin back around.</p>
<p>"You son of a <em>bitch</em>-" was all Harry could spit before the man on the right threw himself forward, grabbing Harry's arm before he could swing the punch he intended. Then the one on the left grabbed for his other arm and Ben could barely process the image of his now-restrained friend taking a fist straight to the side of his face. The sound it made.</p>
<p>And then again.</p>
<p>"HARRY!" Ben heard his voice scream. The scene exploded into a blur of arms flailing and grasping. Harry's body falling to the side to be brought up again by the hands restraining him while he thrashed violently to free himself. The impact of the man's fist sounding over and over again. Vulgar words spitting back and forth.</p>
<p>The shock hadn't fully shaken out of Ben when he found himself tumbling forward, his own hands clasping down on the jacket of one of the men who had Harry restrained. Desperation and fury drove his impulse to drag the man off. Shoving him to the side. Then a second wave of impulse sent him toward the now-staggering man again to throw him further from the others.</p>
<p>When the man's back collided with the brick alley wall, Ben frantically turned back to Harry. But the speed of everything that was happening was so quick he couldn't think. He couldn't prepare. A sharp pain dug into his arm just above his elbow and he was jolted to the side, sending a barbed spasm through his shoulder. Which sent his heart in a frantic rhythm of pounding against his chest and suddenly Ben was staring at the man who now had a hold on <em>him</em>. Then the other man who had easily recovered from being thrown into the wall.</p>
<p>Ben's struggle to free his arm from the man's hold turned more frantic as the other approached him with a face twisted in rage. His struggle was useless by the time Ben had both men on him. His arm ended up contorted painfully behind his back. More spikes of pain. His heart pounded harder.</p>
<p>The other man's fingers took a cruel, stern hold onto Ben's jaw. Focusing past the pain that was shooting through his arm, the blood pumping through his eardrums, and the man leaning threateningly into his face, Ben was watching Harry. His burning eyes watching the continued assault on his friend.</p>
<p>They were going to kill him. They were going to kill them. They were—</p>
<p>
  <em>Fuck. Harry. Harry. Fuck.</em>
</p>
<p>They were—</p>
<p>"If you want to defend the traitor, you'll get treated like a traitor, too," Ben heard the voice spit in his ear before he felt his torso fall forward. He only caught a brief flash of the knee coming up before another force to his stomach sent every other muscle in his body rippling out into a sudden shock.</p>
<p>Then all of the breath in his body was gone. He couldn't get it back. His stomach tightened and twisted in a spasm of pain. And he was on the ground. And he could feel another round of forces striking his body. His throat burned in its futile attempt to suck in air. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. And because he couldn't breathe or move, he became submerged with panic. And fear. He could only watch from the ground as the fuzzy figures left him to return to the others. Returning to Harry.</p>
<p>Harry— Har—</p>
<p>His chest cramped. The pain. The cramping. The blood pumping. Harry. God, what the fuck— what the fuck— <em>fuck</em>.</p>
<p>He was chained to the ground, his watered eyes forced to watch as the men sent punch after punch after kick to his depleted friend. His own body was numb to the kicks he had taken, but he could feel every strike to Harry.</p>
<p>"S-" Ben braced against his struggle to find air, "S— St—.." Slowly, convulsions of gasps worked through his lungs. The muscles in his stomach began twitching back to life again and the convulsions of gasps became more ordered. "St— Sto—".</p>
<p>They were going to kill Harry if they didn't stop. And they were going to kill Ben.</p>
<p>And they—</p>
<p>The chip shop. Uma... Uma.</p>
<p>The snap in focus sent waking signals to the rest of his body. To his muscles. His hand found the ground and he began his struggle of pushing himself back up. Then he found himself on his knees. And then he was breathing again. And running.</p>
<p>To his luck, his body had completely taken over while his mind seemed to slip in and out of consciousness. It was a haze, but he found himself rounding the corner and what he perceived to be only an instant later, he was barging through the doors of the shop, scouting in desperation for the owner.</p>
<p>"Uma!" The name came out in a heave when he spotted her, but she was already turned to him with stunned concern from his barging in. "U—... Uma..."</p>
<p>"Wha-?" She stopped. Her panic increased by a tenfold when she looked him up and down. Ben gasped for air.</p>
<p>"Pl— Please. It's Harry." And that was all Ben had to say for her to rush after him. The two stumbled out of the door.</p>
<p>"Ben what the fuck is going on? Why are you here?" She grilled when they were outside.</p>
<p>"Just— Come on!" he croaked before taking off back toward the alley. Uma did not hesitate to quit asking questions and follow.</p>
<p>When they came back around the corner, Ben could only see the bundle of figures now against the alley wall. Harry's body was pinned with his back against the bricks and throat taken hold of by the same hands that had battered him. A short cry sounded from Uma, along with a few frantic words Ben didn't exactly hear beyond the pulsing tension in his ears. They ran forward and this time Uma shouted.</p>
<p>"STOP!"</p>
<p>Ben watched the men immediately drop Harry, whipping around at the sudden intervention. He couldn't pry his eyes away from his friend. His heart was constricted.</p>
<p>"Back. Away. NOW!" Uma's demand was clear and violent. All four men froze and stared with widened, stunned eyes. Dazed, they took their steps back in unison. That's when Ben noticed the glow radiating from the shell of Uma's necklace. There was a concentration in her eyes. A furious but controlled concentration. And the magic had the men restrained.</p>
<p>When they took their spellbound steps back, enough away from Harry who had collapsed onto the ground, Ben rushed forward. His heart couldn't hold himself away from him another second. He fell onto his knees beside his friend and his shaking hands tended to his face.</p>
<p>"Harry. Harry, oh my God. Fuck. Fuck," He couldn't formulate anything. Not while looking at his friend like this. Mostly limp and with darkened eyes swollen and half-closed. The left side of his face was shadowed by red swelling. Blood sliding down his cheeks, over the front of his lips, and out his mouth and down his chin. Dark spots around his neck and along his arms like painted handprints. Fuck. <em>Fuck</em>.</p>
<p>Harry's breathing was labored and he barely worked with Ben as he tried to carefully pull him up into a sit. A series of grunts escaped his mouth along the way, but he managed to sit up against the wall. Ben's hands came back to his face in a frenzied attempt to wipe off the blood, but it was just smearing over and his unsteady hands seemed to be inciting more pain from Harry.</p>
<p>"Do. NOT! Move." Uma was still commanding the assailants.</p>
<p>Ben was desperate to stop the bleeding. His hands instinctively found the beanie on his head, which he ripped off to press against the side of Harry's face. Harry winced at the touch, but the cotton material worked to soak up most of the blood and it was softer than his hands.</p>
<p>"Harry," Ben croaked, holding his face and looking into as much of his eyes as he held open, "Are you okay? Are you—"</p>
<p>A small, gruff cough and an unsteady nod was the only answer Ben received. With the way his head was bobbing, it was clear he was struggling to remain vigilant.</p>
<p>"How is he, Ben?" He heard Uma call from where she stood, still willing the men in place. Ben looked up, seeing her powerful stance and eyes still fixed on the men. She looked desperate to join Ben's side, but she remained, shell still radiating with energy.</p>
<p>"He's fine. He's okay, He's—" Ben was panting, looking back at Harry. The words working mostly to calm himself rather than accurately inform Uma. He wasn't fine. But he wasn't dead. "He's still awake and—"</p>
<p>Then he froze. He looked back at the men.</p>
<p>All four of them were staring at him. Their expressions filled with shock and a struggle for comprehension. And Ben remained there, his beanie off and head in full, recognizable view.</p>
<p>"B— Ben?" One of the men stammered, "You mean like—...? That's... the King?"</p>
<p>"That's the fucking <em>King</em>?" The one beside him also stammered.</p>
<p>Ben's eyes flew to Uma who was frowning with realization of her own mistake. Shit, she seemed to be thinking. The men were sputtering their surprise and sudden panic amongst each other when Uma shouted.</p>
<p>"Enough!" She exchanged another, regretful look at Ben before saying, "None of you speak another word!" She looked back at Harry, then ahead, eyes darting in her attempt to figure out her next step. Ben squeezed his eyes shut, but he turned back to Harry. Even if the men recognizing him should have been the most unfortunate thing to happen at the moment, it was hard to fret over it when his friend's blood was soaking the beanie he held to his face. He felt sick. He felt so so sick and he just wanted Harry out of here. Somewhere safe. And he wanted to be with him.</p>
<p>"He's going to have us fucking executed! He's going to have our friends executed!" The man who had kneed Ben in the stomach was rambling a panicked frenzy of words to the others, "Let us go <em>now</em>! Please! We won't bother you again! Any of you! I swear! We won't steal anything. Fuck. We're sor— so— ah—"</p>
<p>The man was cut off suddenly and Ben looked up to see a yellow glow around his throat and a flash of an orb shot from his throat and into Uma's shell. And then his mouth was moving but his voice was no longer heard. His face twisted in confusion and panic.</p>
<p>"I said not another word!" Uma snarled. She thought for another second, then the glow reignited around the others' throats. She explained in an angry, concise tone, "The rest of you can keep your voices. But if any of you say one word about what happened here to <em>anyone</em>, you <em>all</em> will lose them. And if one of you so much as tries to <em>write</em> it—" With a gesture, the mens' hands lit up as well, "—You all will lose your <em>hands</em>. Got it?"</p>
<p>The men held still but their terrified eyes said they understood.</p>
<p>Uma continued, "And don't even try to rid yourselves of this spell because so long as I have his voice—" She nodded roughly to the now-silent member of their group, "—The spell is bound to this shell here. <em>Nothing</em> will break it without it." The glow of the shell went out, followed by the glow on their throats and hands. Whatever hypnotic force Uma had held on them must have come undone as well, since all four men stumbled back suddenly.</p>
<p>"Now get out of my sight and don't come near my crew or my shop ever again!" With the final command, the four men sprinted off down the alley and, as Uma said, out of their sight. As soon as they were gone, Uma flew to where Ben knelt beside Harry.</p>
<p>"Harry!" She cried, "Shit! Help me get him back to the shop!"</p>
<p>Ben hesitated, reluctant to inflict any more pain on him than he could handle, but there was no other option. So Ben moved to one side and Uma the other, each wrapping one of his arms over their shoulder. Together, with enough coaxing and plenty of distressful grunts of pain, they managed to work Harry to his feet. Although he was still unable to fully hold himself up, once he was standing, he managed to put more effort into his own movements. Meanwhile, Ben was able to find some clarity in his own breaths again.</p>
<p>Ben scanned the alley once more and his eyes landed on Harry's hook and his hat, both of which had been thrown from him at the start of the fight. He abandoned Harry briefly to grab them before he returned and helped Uma carry him back to the shop.<br/><br/></p>
<p>The three of them shuffled into the back area of the restaurant and Uma guided them to the room that connected to her office. It was a small room, but it had the essentials, and Uma laid down towels on the bed before they sat down Harry. She ran off into the other rooms, coming back with different items each time. Water. Medical kit. More towels. Pillows. Ben stared at the hook in his hand while Uma worked.</p>
<p>Ben realized, as he stood there in a daze, that he'd never held Harry's hook before. It was heavier than he expected. The metal was smoother and as fine as any sword he'd owned. Nearly as sharp as one too. The weight of the hook grew heavier and Ben suddenly felt like he was sinking from it. Breaking through the ground below him. His chest was tightening again.</p>
<p>"Ben, help me," Uma snapped him out of the trance, and Ben blinked several times before setting the hook and hat down on the bedside table and returning to assist. "He needs to stay upright," Uma instructed as they laid him against the piles of pillows, "If he has a concussion— which he probably does— I don't want him knocking out until we get a doctor here." She turned to Harry and said, "Rest, Harry. But try to stay conscious, please."</p>
<p>"I'll— I'll call a doctor from Auradon to come—"</p>
<p>"No. I will," Uma cut in, then she moved into the other room again. Ben could only stand there for the minutes she was gone, watching Harry, who seemed to have ignored her instruction of staying conscious.</p>
<p>"Harry..." Ben found himself whispering. He moved to his side. He wanted to help him. His stomach was throbbing and he didn't know if it was from the hits he took, or if it was from seeing Harry so hurt right here in front of him. He fell into another trance watching him.</p>
<p>"The doctor's on the way. What the <em>fuck</em> happened?" Again, Uma's voice pulled him into reality. He turned to look at her. A loss of words. Was he in shock?</p>
<p>"I—..." How the fuck could he explain this? "We were going back to my car and—... They came up to us— er, <em>Harry</em>— and they were upset about him and the watch and they just attacked him and—" Ben's incoherency made Uma cut in again.</p>
<p>"What are you doing here, Ben?"</p>
<p>Ben furrowed his eyebrows at the sudden question and his hesitancy betrayed him. He looked back at Harry and swallowed before saying, "I just needed to get away for a bit."</p>
<p>"With Harry? You two must have become quite good friends in that small amount of time at the ball Saturday, huh?"</p>
<p>There was a pause.</p>
<p>"Y—Yes, actually," Ben said, but he could tell Uma wasn't buying it, "I just wanted to spend time with my friend." The second half was the truth.</p>
<p>There was another pause. Uma frowned, "And you didn't want anyone knowing you're here." Another pause. "Why?"</p>
<p>Ben stammered, "S—Sometimes I just want to be anonymous. Like anyone else. I just want to be with friends without the public's eyes on me..." His already stunned mind was making thinking difficult. His lies were neglected. He wasn't prepared for this. He couldn't think right now.</p>
<p>"So Mal and everyone at the castle... they know you're here?"</p>
<p>He couldn't do this. He couldn't do this right now.</p>
<p>"Uma..." He thought he was going to faint. He closed his eyes. "Please... Don't tell anyone..."</p>
<p>An even longer pause. Then Uma took a serious step forward. "Ben. If there's something that you're hiding from Mal, you need to tell her. Mal is my friend, but <em>you</em> are her fiancé. That is <em>your</em> problem first. <em>My</em> problem is Harry. So I'm going to help him. I'm going to fix <em>this</em> problem," She gestured to her nearly-unconscious friend, "Because I'm responsible for <em>him</em>. And I'm going to assume that if there are any <em>other</em> problems, they are going to be fixed by whoever is responsible for <em>them</em>."</p>
<p>It was as good of an assurance as Ben was going to get. Although he wasn't comforted in the slightest. He exhaled. He nodded, then Uma spoke up again.</p>
<p>"Go back home. The doctor will be here soon." Her tone was authoritative. And Ben could only nod again. Then he looked at Harry for a long while before having to accept that he wasn't going to be able to sit beside him and wait for him to wake up. He wasn't going to be there for him like he wanted.</p>
<p>That was the only thing he wanted.<br/><br/></p>
<p>Ben was back in his car. He couldn't even remember the trek back as he'd been stuck in his trance again. His shock hadn't even left him by the time he was back at the steering wheel, ready to drive off. Was it even safe for him to drive like this? He was desperate for an excuse to go back. He didn't care anymore if the doctor saw him there. He didn't care if anyone saw him there. He just wanted to be next to Harry.</p>
<p>But he knew that wasn't how things were going to logically play out. His eyes travelled slowly to the backpack in the passenger seat next to him. It was full of the battered leather clothes he had just changed out of. He was back in the casual Auradon blazer and slacks that he thoughtfully brought with him. This time, no one would question his Isle attire were he to be spotted on his way back again.</p>
<p>He thought of Uma's words.</p>
<p>He was staring ahead of him, his hands on the wheel. Gripping the wheel. He hadn't even started the car.</p>
<p>His heart pounded. He didn't think it had ever calmed down since the first fist struck Harry. He was just staring. A ghostly, absent stare.</p>
<p>And then, his head was resting on the top of the steering wheel. And every feeling inside of him was pouring out of his eyes.</p>
<p>And he was crying.<br/><br/></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for the nature of this chapter.. things get happier soon I promise. Also sorry for the late update even AFTER saying I'd be back on track!!!</p>
<p>Anyway, thank you so much for reading and all the support!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Life's Full of Tough Choices</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He should have gone immediately back to his room. As soon as he parked the car, he should have gone to his room, cleaned up, rested, and gathered his sanity back. But Ben's entire focus was channeled right in front of him. The shock inside of him had shattered and now every broken shard was vibrating vigorously. He was angry. Very very angry. And so he hadn't given a second thought to his need to calm down before he found himself barging into his father's office.</p>
<p>"Are you <em>kidding</em> me?" He demanded as soon as he spotted Adam behind his desk. His father looked up from his papers, surprised at first, but that quickly shifted to a stern displeasure.</p>
<p>"What, Ben—"</p>
<p>"You sent royal guards to the Isle?!" Ben's fury rattled in his voice, "To arrest the person that stole from me <em>weeks</em> ago?! Without even consulting me about it?!"</p>
<p>His father's eyebrows lifted, then he scanned over his papers once before sighing, "I thought today was your day off, Ben."</p>
<p>"Seriously?" Ben's jaw dropped open and the fury was burning, "<em>Seriously</em>?"</p>
<p>"He stole from you. He could've assaulted you as well if he was willing to pickpocket you. You may not like it, but sometimes justice is necessary."</p>
<p>So damn ironic, wasn't it? He wished he could tell him he <em>was</em> assaulted. He was just fucking assaulted. His friend was fucking assaulted. His friend was bleeding and battered right now. And he wouldn't have been had his dad not decided to exercise his authority in the name of justice. Ben was fuming. The pain radiating from the bruises in his stomach begged him to scream at his father. To scream everything that he had just gone through. But no matter how much his fury controlled him, he had to hold his tongue.</p>
<p>Ben grit his teeth. "You knew how I'd feel about it. But because it's something <em>you</em> wanted, you went behind my back to do it anyway! Did you honestly think I wouldn't find out? Or did you <em>want</em> me to find out to throw in my face how little you respect the title you gave me? Or was this a reminder that no matter what title I have, you're still going to control every fucking thing in my life?"</p>
<p>At that, Adam removed his glasses and stood out of his chair to meet his son's challenge.</p>
<p>"Do not swear in front of me again! You are acting like a child! If you want to remain on top of every decision we make, you are welcome to. But you lose that right when you decide to neglect your responsibilities and start taking days off out of nowhere!"</p>
<p>"I'm still the <em>King</em>!"</p>
<p>"Yes you made that very clear yesterday. The entire castle had the privilege of hearing it!" Adam's eyes were drilling into Ben's. His tone grew more controlled. "Now, are you ready to have a civil conversation this time? Because we absolutely can if you're willing to speak to me with respect."</p>
<p>"Respect?" Ben felt his heart shattering, "You're asking me to speak to you with <em>respect</em>? Do <em>you</em> even respect <em>me</em>? You haven't shown me <em>any</em> respect lately! You made such a shit joke  about my engagement in front of the council and humiliated me! How is that respect? And you treat me like a child in front of them, too! As if my opinions don't matter! And you criticize me and the job I'm trying to do when most of my work is cleaning up problems <em>you</em> made!" Ben felt his throat clenching with agony when Adam's frown hardened, but he pressed himself to continue while he could, "And now you make royal orders without even mentioning it to me. As if me being the King doesn't matter at all! I've spent my whole life trying to make you proud! I've done everything you've asked and I've ignored everything I've ever wanted or felt growing up because it might interfere with what you or Mom expect of me! My whole existence has been focused on me being King. On ruling. This is the only thing I was ever allowed to prioritize! And now I AM the King! And I don't even get to BE one! You can't even let me be the ONE thing you raised me for!"</p>
<p>Ben's body was shaking. The painful aches pulsed all over his torso. He wanted to cry again. He wanted so desperately to cry. He remained where he stood, though, breathing heavily with every fiber working to hold himself together in front of his father.</p>
<p>Adam opened his mouth to respond, but quickly closed it. He was studying his son, most likely just noticing his disheveled appearance. He frowned in thought, then exhaled through his nose. He looked down.</p>
<p>"Ben... That—" Adam shook his head, "That wasn't my intention at all. I had no intention to make you feel devalued. And I had no intention to make you feel like being the King was the only thing you were allowed to focus on."</p>
<p>"But you did," Ben stared deeply at his father, praying he saw the pain he felt, "It <em>did</em> feel like that was the only thing I could prioritize. And it <em>was</em>. And I <em>do</em> feel devalued. Whether it's your intention or not."</p>
<p>Adam's muscles twitched in his jaw and he kept his eyes down at the papers below him when he said "Well. I'm sorry."</p>
<p>It was frustrating. But Ben had to accept he wasn't going to get anything else out of his father. Why was he even here? He didn't have any more anger to release. There was no point in being here. </p>
<p>He took a step back. This didn't matter.</p>
<p>"I need to go."</p>
<p>"Ben if something is going on, you should talk to me," Adam's eyes shifted to something more sincere, "It's my job to make sure you are well advised. That doesn't just mean that I give you advice on what administrative decisions to make. I'm here for the other issues too. I understand there is so much pressure involved in this job and I can give you advice on managing the stress. You can talk to me about it."</p>
<p>It shouldn't be shocking that Adam could get so close to the point and still miss it entirely. Yes, Dad, there was so much going on. Thank you for acknowledging that and offering your support. Ben would consider it. But he didn't need an advisor right now.</p>
<p>He needed a parent.</p>
<p>Ben only nodded, but he wasn't looking at his father. He wished he could tell him just how much he <em>couldn't</em> talk to him about anything real he was facing. He couldn't tell him about his trips to the Isle. He couldn't tell him how he didn't love Mal. He couldn't tell him that the only person he wanted to be with right now was laying in a bed unconscious and he didn't know when he'd see him again. Or if he'd be okay. And he especially couldn't tell him just how badly it hurt that he couldn't go be with him. How much it tore Ben apart that he couldn't see Harry as freely and openly as he wanted to in the way that he wanted to because the questions it would bring would fall back onto the pile of lies he'd stupidly built for himself. He couldn't tell his father that.</p>
<p>Adam sat back in his chair and replaced his glasses, "I think taking today off was a good idea for you. I was wrong about that. You should do it. I'm sorry."</p>
<p>Ben nodded again. He could feel the sensation of shock returning, now that his anger was gone. He was sick again. He still wanted to cry. But he squeezed his eyes shut and drew in another aching breath. And then his strained, abused body was exiting the room without another word.</p>
<p>He had cried several more times. On and off. It was an alternation between crying and staring absently into a void of strenuous questions. And crying some more. Thankfully, Mal was out with her friends and hadn't been there to witness his fits of despair. Nor see the series of bruising that had already begun to form on his stomach and ribs as he showered and changed. He'd have to hide that as well for the next week or so until they went away.</p>
<p>God, this was wrong.</p>
<p>This was all so, so wrong. He didn't want to do it anymore. He didn't want to hide anything anymore. He didn't want to lie anymore.</p>
<p>He texted Uma on his way downstairs. A short "Is he okay?" followed by "I'm so sorry," and then after a couple minutes of no reply he added a "Thank you for everything." It was still his day off and although he wanted to spend the rest of it in bed in an uninterrupted sleep, he knew he shouldn't. He knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep despite how exhausted he was. Not when his mind was in a constant state of worrying over Harry as well as worrying over everything else involving Harry. So he found himself walking out the front of the castle. He didn't know where exactly he wanted to go, but he wanted to be alone.</p>
<p>He wanted to spend the next few hours in peaceful solitude to think. Just think. And hopefully, in the midst of his thinking, he would figure out what the hell he was going to do to fix this landfill of a mess he made.</p>
<p>But of course, a King can only wish for peaceful solitude.</p>
<p>His phone chimed and he ripped it out of his pockets, only to be disappointed when the name of the sender read "Mal" and not "Uma". The message was:</p>
<p>"Heyyy! (Kiss emoticon) Look to your right!"</p>
<p>He didn't want to. But he did. And of course, his fiancee was waving him over from one of the tables in the courtyard. With her was Evie. And Carlos. Oh... And of course, Jay.</p>
<p>"God-fucking-dammit," He heard himself mutter. He could run. He could just run away. Or he could tell them sorry, that he'd love to join their get-together but he was incredibly sick and being around anyone would be disastrous. He could easily fake an illness with how terribly he wanted to vomit right now. But then he realized he was standing there like an idiot and at this point he had absolutely no choice but to walk over and at least say hello.</p>
<p>"Hey, guys," He found himself approaching the table and greeting, "I can't stay too long, so I'm sorry."</p>
<p>"It's fine," Mal smiled, but she reached out and pulled him to sit beside her, "We all were about to leave anyway. Jay has practice in an hour and Evie was going to show me a few more of her designs— <em>despite</em> swearing she was taking a break after the ball," She shot her friend a scolding frown, which Evie answered with a helpless shrug. Then Mal added, "Oh, and Carlos just finished one of his exams, so he's the only one of us that's free..."</p>
<p>Carlos began to tell Mal that she was actually wrong and he had online courses and more studying or something like that. Ben couldn't really pay attention. He had fallen back into that absent void, staring at the table, with the entirety of his concentration on not looking at Jay. For the love of God, don't look at Jay. He couldn't think of anything that would make this day worse than looking at Jay right now.He could feel Jay looking at <em>him</em>. It was as though he was begging Ben to meet his eyes. In a sinister lust for Ben's pure discomfort to be exposed for everyone at the table.</p>
<p>"So we heard it was your day off, Ben," Evie's voice chirped, "Where have you been spending it this morning? We haven't seen you anywhere."</p>
<p>Why did he come over here? He should have just gone to bed.</p>
<p>
  <em>'I was attacked. With Harry. At the Isle. I have no idea how he is. I'm still in shock and honestly, I should be physically and mentally recovering right now. Not sitting here pretending like my life is fine. Pretending like the last time I saw Jay wasn't in a guest room with his shirt ripped open and pants halfway down his legs with my only real friend on top of him.'</em>
</p>
<p>"I was just out," Ben's voice was shakier than he intended. He didn't have the energy to pretend to be as lively as the rest of them, "Getting coffee."</p>
<p>"Are you alright?" Mal asked.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, I just don't feel too good right now." That was the truth.</p>
<p>"You look kind of pale," Carlos mentioned.</p>
<p>"If you're sick, you should drink decaf tea instead of coffee," Evie said, "The caffeine isn't good for illness. The tea will hydrate you and replenish vitamins. Right, Carlos?"</p>
<p>"I'm... still on the core curriculum... I haven't taken any health classes yet. But that sounds correct."</p>
<p>Ben wanted to cry again. If only this could be fixed by tea.</p>
<p>His phone chimed and it took everything in his power to not fumble to read it. He gave it a second before pulling it out with much restraint and checking it inconspicuously at an angle out of the others' sight. It was Uma. Ben held his breath as he opened it.</p>
<p>It read: "Harry is fine. Doctor said to give him a few days to rest and he'll check him over again."</p>
<p>Ben exhaled quietly before responding: "Thanks for letting me know." And then he added, "I'll pay for anything he needs."</p>
<p>He looked back up at the small conversation that was happening between Carlos and Evie. Mal was shifting her attention between the two and Ben, and Ben could sense her concern. Another chime came a minute later.</p>
<p>Uma texted, "Don't." Which stilled Ben's heart when he read it.</p>
<p>Another chime. "I actually think it's best if you stopped concerning yourself with him. I know you said he's your friend now, but the sneaking around is telling me there's more going on and I don't want my crew involved in that. I helped you this one time, but that's it. Please respect Harry and leave him out of whatever sneaking around you're doing."</p>
<p>He felt the pain in his abdomen throb. His chest grew heavier again and it felt nearly as difficult to breathe as getting hit earlier.</p>
<p>"Ben, is everything okay?" Mal asked again, forcing his eyes back up to the table. He held his phone so tightly he thought he'd crush it.</p>
<p>"Y— yeah," He momentarily neglected his goal of <em>not</em> looking at Jay and found him staring a hole into Ben. Another wave of pain from his stomach throbbed. He was going to be sick. He quickly glanced away. "I just got into a fight with my dad. He's just... messaging me. I— I really should go talk to him again." Ben began to stand up and he glanced back at Jay again.</p>
<p>There was skepticism all over his expression, as there seemed to have been every single time Ben looked at him lately. Ben swallowed with discomfort.</p>
<p>"Oh..." Mal frowned, along with Evie and Carlos who seemed more concerned than Ben would have hoped. Maybe he shouldn't have said he fought with his dad. Whatever. It didn't matter. He just needed to be alone to think because there was an oncoming tsunami of thoughts  about to hit him and he didn't want to be around two of the people who were at the very center of his problems when it did hit.</p>
<p>He gave a brief apology and farewell before stepping away from the table and making back for the castle. He didn't go inside, though. He instead made for the garden. The spot where he and Harry danced. Where he could feel some sense of peace. And he could be alone. But again, a King can only dream.</p>
<p>A hand fell on his shoulder and when he twisted around to see that Jay had followed after him, he wanted to scream.</p>
<p>"<em>What</em>?" Ben hissed.</p>
<p>"This doesn't look like talking with your dad."</p>
<p>"I fucking know it doesn't!" Ben immediately regretted snapping, but it seemed to make Jay consider his next words. He watched Ben as if he were studying some intriguing chemical reaction occurring. Ben huffed in and out before saying with choked, unsteady words, "Look, if you want to lecture me right now, get it over with. But just know that there isn't a single thing you can tell me that I don't already know. I <em>know</em> you know that I lied about going to the Isle. I <em>know</em> lying is bad. I <em>know</em> Mal is going to be hurt by it. Okay?"</p>
<p>Jay shifted his weight to the other foot and stared for a moment longer before crossing his arms and saying, "Why <em>did</em> you lie? Why did you hide the fact that you met with Harry at the Isle?"</p>
<p>Ben covered his face. Then he remembered Harry's words the morning before. About how he should consider telling Jay the truth. Jay isn't spiteful or impulsive, Harry had said. And maybe he was right. Ben valued Harry's advice. And honestly, he really, really wanted to say it. He wanted to lay everything out and be done with all of his lies and secrecy.</p>
<p>But picturing the look on his father's face. Or his mother's face. Or Mal's face. Or any of his friend's and the entire kingdom's faces when he'd say he never really loved the person that is supposed to be Auradon's queen... That he's been sneaking around behind her back... That he never had any intention of starting an educational program... That he has been miserable every day of his life because becoming the King has sucked out every single opportunity for Ben to figure out who he is... He couldn't bring himself to spill it. Not all of it. Not yet. Not while there was still the chance he could figure it out. He could fix it.</p>
<p>But, Harry was right. Jay already knew Ben lied about his first trip to the Isle. Maybe some honesty now would be enough to convince Jay that Ben was genuinely wanting to fix it. So he closed his eyes and spoke before he backed out.</p>
<p>"I went to the Isle because I thought Harry cursed me."</p>
<p>When he opened his eyes, Jay was squinting at him.</p>
<p>"I know it's stupid," Ben swallowed and looked to the side, "But I've been... distracted lately. Actually, I've been feeling lost. Like nothing is right. Or, like something's missing. The past couple of years it's been getting worse and worse. I couldn't stop thinking about that time we went to the Isle to bring Mal back and it was like there was something pulling me back there." Ben couldn't believe he was telling this to Jay, but he already started, so he wasn't going to stop now. "The only other times I've felt emotions like that before were the times I was spelled. Like you're being controlled by something. And the things you <em>should</em> be focused on are at the back of your mind. So I thought I was being spelled again."</p>
<p>Jay's confused expression didn't seem to dissolve. He shifted again and his eyes were active to search to put pieces together. "So you thought Harry put a spell on you? Harry's a lot of things, but he's never been someone to have any interest in magic."</p>
<p>"I <em>know</em>," Ben frowned, "Trust me, I got enough ridicule from him about it already. He obviously didn't spell me but at the time I had no other explanation for what I felt. I—" his eyes dropped; his brow furrowed, "I... still don't..."</p>
<p>Which was half true. He hadn't realized until right now that his acceptance of not truly loving Mal only explained... <em>his lack of love for Mal</em>. Of course it attributed to the trouble and confusion he felt. But... It didn't actually explain the distractions. It didn't explain the mild fantasies of that one trip to the Isle. Or why he couldn't stop picturing Harry's eyes in front of him. He first thought it was because Harry spelled him. When that was disproven, he attributed it to this subconscious need to integrate Harry to Auradon. But that seemed nearly as improbable as the curse. Because even after learning and accepting that Harry was never going to live in Auradon, he still couldn't get him off of his mind. He still couldn't stop seeing his eyes or feeling that tugging toward his company. He had then figured it was because Harry was so different from anything in his entire life. That maybe Ben just wanted a separation from his normality. And that made sense. But why did that explanation feel so... underwhelming?</p>
<p>"Ben."</p>
<p>Ben looked back up at Jay. "Huh?"</p>
<p>"I asked why you didn't just talk to Mal about it? Before sneaking to the Isle alone? That doesn't seem like any reason to lie to her."</p>
<p><em>'Because I didn't want to tell her that I didn't love her,'</em> Ben thought. He said, "Because I didn't want everyone finding out that I felt this way. I didn't want everyone knowing that I was doubting things. Or that I spend more time thinking about that time I was kidnapped than thinking about the things I'm supposed to as a King. Not to mention I'd then have to explain how I was fucking <em>kidnapped</em> to everyone. I'm the King, Jay. These aren't things I'm supposed to be feeling. I can't afford to feel this way." Ben sighed, "I thought if I could figure it out and fix it, everything would be fine. I didn't want to stir up trouble and potentially lose everything without the chance to fix it first."</p>
<p>"I'm sure everyone would understand if you told them."</p>
<p>
  <em>'No, Jay, they wouldn't. They really wouldn't.'</em>
</p>
<p>Jay added, "You're a person, Ben. It's not unbelievable that you would have feelings. You didn't have to go behind anyone's back."</p>
<p>"I'm <em>sorry</em>," Ben insisted, but it was mostly to drill into Jay how much he already knew that, "I shouldn't have done that, I know. But I was desperate and confused. I don't know what's real or not. What's a spell and what isn't. It's seriously <em>fucked</em> with me, Jay. So please don't judge me for the way I reacted when I started to feel genuinely lost for the first time."</p>
<p>"I'm not judging you for the way you reacted. I'm judging you for the way you continued to keep this from Mal. Pretending like you were working on this big project for the kids of the Isle, when you weren't. And meeting secretly with Harry— which, mind you, would throw up red flags for anyone who knew Harry and heard about that." Jay frowned and took a step closer to Ben, "And also, for things like this. Saying you're going to speak with your father when you clearly aren't. <em>This</em> is what's going to hurt Mal. And you're still doing it. You're digging this deeper and deeper. So why don't you just come clean about everything? Because that's the only way you can fix it."</p>
<p>Ben stayed quiet. Jay probably thought he was in deep consideration about the solution he proposed. But he really wasn't. He was just thinking about Harry. Just picturing him in his mind. How he'd left him. That's what concerned him the most right now. Doing what was right with Mal was important and he wanted to resolve everything. But it was so hard to focus on that right now when he was picturing Harry. And it was especially hard to focus on fixing his situation with Mal when he was now considering further why exactly his mind lingered on the pirate so much. In the first place. Now. All the time.</p>
<p>"If what you told me is really all that's going on, I don't think you have much to worry about by being honest," Jay said after a few seconds of no reply, "You can stop hiding things. Like whatever you're doing with Harry."</p>
<p>Ben met his eyes and frowned, "What exactly do you think I'm doing with Harry?"</p>
<p>"Well I think you've met with him more often than just that one time at the Isle."</p>
<p>Ben really did not want to talk about this right now.</p>
<p>Jay went on, "Because how exactly did you go from detesting him at the event, to buying him a suit and giving him a Royal Invitation to the ball? If not by sneaking around with him."</p>
<p>"Okay. We did meet again. But only to clear things up regarding the curse I accused him of. And we ended up getting along. And now we're friends. Is that something to be suspicious of?"</p>
<p>"Well the fact that you're still hiding it, yes. And, let me remind you, the fact that it's <em>Harry</em> makes it a bit <em>more</em> suspicious. And I still don't know why you were wearing his handkerchief that morning you came back. So I'm sorry for assuming there might be something more that you're hiding."</p>
<p>"What the fuck do you think we're doing? Do you think we're plotting some curse on someone else or doing something illegal? No, he's just my friend. We're just hanging out because I haven't had a friend that has actually cared about me or offered to help me before. And the handkerchief was just Harry being an ass. He put it in my pocket to mock me and forgot to take it back. It wasn't significant," Ben's snarl was unintentional when he said, "He didn't <em>give</em> it to me. So don't worry."</p>
<p>Jay raised an eyebrow and looked Ben over again. He crossed his arms and decided to say, "You were pretty upset when you saw us together Saturday night."</p>
<p>"Of course I was upset!" Ben found himself suddenly unreasonably impatient with the interrogation, "You turned my problems into a fucking game all night, and while I was flipping out and pushing away my first real friend, you were trying to sleep with him! So of course I snapped when I had to SEE that! Was I supposed to be having fun? Also I don't know what the fuck that has to do with what you're accusing me of!"</p>
<p>"Okay, okay, okay. God. I'm sorry, Ben," Jay held up his hands and he studied Ben's expression with an alarmed frown. Then, after a few seconds which looked like deep analysis, it softened to a troubled look. He sighed, "I'm not accusing you of doing anything... illegal or whatever. I actually meant—" he studied Ben's expression again, then frowned and shook his head, "...Never mind. Look, I'm sorry I backed you into a corner like that. But you need to understand that these lies are not going to slip past me and I am not going to stand by and watch as you keep going behind Mal's back. You need to stop this right now, before you actually ruin everything. Show your fiancee the respect she deserves. Talk to her. Otherwise <em>I</em> will."</p>
<p>"Jay—"</p>
<p>"I'm serious, Ben. Talk to Mal and <em>stop</em> talking to Harry. I don't care if you're just friends hanging out. If you're hiding it from the rest of us, it's wrong. So don't dig yourself a deeper hole. I'm giving you the chance to fix it, but I swear I'm telling her the second I find out you're still going behind her back."</p>
<p>Ben didn't try to protest this time. He just stood silent and defeated. Inside, he was crushed to the point that if he even tried to speak, he'd break down again.</p>
<p>"I have to go to work now. <em>Please</em>, do what's right, Ben." And that's all Jay said before he turned and left the area. Ben didn't even watch him go. His eyes were glued to the spot on the floor where he and Harry had stood merely inches apart. Where Harry spun him into his body and Ben got to feel what it was like to be held by his arms. And his eyes, not imagined, but really there, in front of him. Staring back at him.</p>
<p>Do what's right. That's what he's supposed to do.</p>
<p>Why did that have to mean giving up what <em>felt</em> right?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>tick tick tick tick tick.....</em>
</p>
<p>Harry's gaze lay on the gold watch he held in front of his nose. His mind was foggy, but he was conscious enough to let himself admire the details of the design. It was the only relaxation he could get. Spacing out to focus on nothing except the beauty of it; hearing nothing but the barely audible ticking of the second hand. As awful as he felt— and probably looked— he was truly thankful that the pocket watch made it out unscathed. He could take the beating. He couldn't take seeing the gift Ben had just given him, broken.</p>
<p>He heard footsteps entering the room and so his hands closed around the watch and he put it away back in his pocket. He rolled onto his back in a slow struggle, wincing at the fire of pain that ignited along his ribcage and stomach. The figure entered the room.</p>
<p>"How are you feeling?" Uma asked as she set down a glass of water on the side table. Harry stared at the ceiling. His mind was like a churning mixture with thoughts of absolutely nothing, Ben, and how much his body hurt. It alternated between the three. Right now, he was back to thinking of how much his body hurt. He could no longer say his hangover Sunday morning was the worst physical pain he's been in. He didn't think his body could hurt more than that. And he certainly didn't think he'd get proven wrong so soon after.</p>
<p>"Alive... I don't know," Harry's voice came out weak. Truthfully, he had no idea if there was even a word to describe how he felt.</p>
<p>"You knocked out for like fifteen hours after the doctor left."</p>
<p>"It feels like I've been dead for fifteen hours." That was closer to an accurate description. "Maybe fifteen <em>years</em>."</p>
<p>Uma snorted a short laugh. "Well I'm relieved to see you awake and alert. The doctor said to call if you start feeling dizzy or forgetful. Are you having trouble remembering anything?"</p>
<p>"I can't remember much after getting the shit kicked out of me. It's a bit hazy. But other than that I feel fine. Well, as fine as someone that just got the shit kicked out of 'em," Harry turned his head to the side to give his captain a pathetic frown, "A bit humiliated. Defeated. Pissed... But fine."</p>
<p>"I don't think those are symptoms of a concussion, thankfully."</p>
<p>Harry tried to give her a smile, but then his thoughts churned back to Ben. Although his mind was hazy, he could remember Ben there in front of him, helping him. He could remember his words, and he could remember him speaking to Uma. Maybe not the specifics of what was said, but they definitely had a conversation. And there was no doubt Uma was fully aware of their unspoken hang outs at this point.</p>
<p>"How..." Harry stirred in discomfort, but he was desperate to know, "How is he? Ben?" </p>
<p>Uma's expression didn't change, but Harry could see the shift in her eyes. And then she took in a breath and sighed.</p>
<p>"Ben's fine."</p>
<p>"Did he get hurt?"</p>
<p>She moved to pull up a chair and sit beside the bed. She watched Harry for a long moment before saying, "I don't know. He seemed fine. A bit in shock, but not physically hurt." She took another moment to analyze Harry as Harry took in the information with relief. Then she spoke the words Harry had anticipated and dreaded.  "Harry, we need to talk."</p>
<p>He turned his eyes back to the ceiling. His displeasure must have been obvious to Uma since he could see her frowning out the corner of his eye.</p>
<p>"Look, I love you. So much. I have never said a word about who or how many people you choose to spend your... <em>company</em> with... because quite frankly, I don't care. As long as you are happy, I don't care. It's none of my business," Uma's tone turned serious, "But this one, Harry... What the <em>fuck</em> are you thinking? Ben is the <em>King</em>. He is <em>engaged</em>."</p>
<p>Harry squeezed his eyes shut. As if he weren't beaten down enough already. This lecture was the absolute worst topping for the cake. But he couldn't blame Uma in the slightest for giving it. Finding out he was hanging out with Ben in secret. It looked bad. It looked really bad. It still hurt to hear her fierce disapproval. Her immediate assumption that Harry was stupid enough to chase after the King for a short-term fling just like all the others. It wasn't anything like that. Harry hadn't even gotten any real assurance of Ben's sexuality until the day before. Sure there was a lot of flirting, and maybe mutual romantic feelings (certain feelings on Harry's part), but everything had remained entirely platonic.</p>
<p>"Uma," Harry pleaded through his raspy voice, "It's not like that. We're just friends."</p>
<p>"Don't lie to me, please."</p>
<p>"I'm not lying. I know how it looks. But I promise you, we haven't done a single thing past talking to each other." Well, except dance together. But that wasn't worth mentioning when that, too, was fully platonic.</p>
<p>"Then what's with the sneaking around? How come I didn't find out until the ball that you and Ben even <em>spoke</em> on friendly terms?"</p>
<p>The left side of his face went through another wave of pain. It stung and ached and felt so hot he could have sworn it was burning. He winced again and even that subtle movement was enough to double it. Then his ribcage started pulsing like it was being kicked repeatedly all over again. God this was the worst. And Uma's questions only made the misery worse.</p>
<p>"Because it wasn't my place to say anything," Harry admitted. Again, he hated lying to Uma. He was almost glad he was in too much pain to care to continue doing it. They exchanged a long look with one another.</p>
<p>And then, Harry decided to tell her. He trusted her. And he needed her. It was too much to keep this part of him so separated from the person who's been beside him through it all. He owed her the explanation. Maybe not the entire truth— such as Ben not loving Mal— because that still wasn't his place to say. But he told her mostly everything starting from Ben's first visit and his curse accusations, to the enchanted lake. He told her about the ball and where they went for the hour they slipped away. He told her how Ben was going through trouble and really needed a friend but he was too scared to tell everyone else. He told her about almost sleeping with Jay and Ben walking in on them. And he told her about yesterday. How he came to apologize and how Harry showed him the cave.</p>
<p>Harry was drained by the end of it. Uma was far more relaxed, but she stayed quiet. She was deep in contemplation. They both stayed quiet for a minute or so. Then, Harry decided to finally add what he really wanted to tell her. What pained him the most. And what he knew would trouble her the most.</p>
<p>"I like him, Uma," He said, staring into an empty space in front of him, "I <em>really</em> like him."</p>
<p>Uma's eyes fell back onto him again. Harry glanced over and the two shared their pained gazes. Harry's, for his difficulty in admitting it with how foolish he should've felt for feeling it in the first place. And Uma's, for her sympathy over Harry's position. Sensing his waste of such a rare feeling.</p>
<p>"That's..." Her voice trailed off for a moment, but she soon found her words, "That's not something I hear you say very often."</p>
<p>It wasn't something he felt often. With the exception of Jay years ago, Harry never felt attraction for someone that went beyond their looks. He never allowed himself to. But with Ben, it was almost impossible to force the feelings away. Harry stayed quiet.</p>
<p>"Does he like you back?"</p>
<p>Yes. Harry knew the answer was yes in his heart. But he couldn't tell her that. Even if Ben had said it— even if he had admitted it to himself— Harry couldn't tell her. Because that <em>really</em> wasn't Harry's place to tell even if he didn't want to lie. And honestly, it was better for him, and for Ben, and for everyone else, if the answer remained "no". Whether it was no or not. Whether Ben liked him or not. The answer had to be "no".</p>
<p>He shook his head. Uma sighed.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, Harry," She offered a warm hand on Harry's arm, and suddenly, Harry realized he probably looked like the most pathetic person in the world right now, "I'm really sorry. But you do understand that that's for the best, right?"</p>
<p><em>'Uma I love you but I'm already in enough pain right now,'</em> He thought.</p>
<p>"I know you can't control your heart," She went on, "But you need to try with this one. I want to see you happy and unfortunately this is just going to hurt you. Ben is not in any position to give you what you deserve. If you let things continue the way they're going, it's just going to lead to a disaster. These secret meetings— platonic or not— are asking for serious trouble. And it's not even for your own good to put an end to it. Ben's involvement brings the kingdom into this. This could be trouble for <em>everyone</em>."</p>
<p>Harry knew it was going to come to this. His heart was clenching over the rest of the aching in his body. He didn't say a word as Uma stood up out of the chair.</p>
<p>"Speaking as your best friend, I want you to be happy. I want you to be with someone that will love you back and do it freely. Ben is not that someone. He can't be." Her lips tightened in a dread for her own next words, "And speaking as your <em>captain</em>, I want my crew out of trouble. I want my crew to make the right choices for everyone. And that includes for you and Ben and Mal and the kingdom. I don't want you seeing him again, Harry. I want you to stay away from him until your feelings for him are gone for good."</p>
<p>Harry felt a rock forming in his throat. A tightening. It was as if that man's hand was gripping it again so hard he couldn't breathe. He could feel every bruise around it. He could feel every bruise on his body. And now he felt his heart bruised and beaten just as bad as the rest of him.</p>
<p>It was for the best. Uma was right. Even if he hated her right now, she was still right.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry," he heard Uma add, "But it hurts enough to see you like <em>this</em>, Harry. I don't want you in even more trouble. Or God-forbid even more hurt." When Harry still didn't respond, or even look at her, she ended with, "Just get some more rest. Don't move around too much. I'll come back to check on you again in an hour."</p>
<p>She muttered something else before she left, but Harry didn't hear. He wasn't paying attention. His hand was back in his pocket, holding onto the watch with an unyielding grip. His thumb running over the engraved patterns. His thoughts desperate to be on nothing again. But they weren't.</p>
<p>They were entirely on Ben. And he didn't believe this time, his thoughts could possibly stay away. And no matter how right Uma was, Harry didn't believe <em>he</em> could stay away from Ben either.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. For Your Eyes Only</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Man," Mal uttered, squeezing Ben's hand, "And I thought the first event's turn out rate was big."</p><p>Another wave of people flooded to join the already-packed town square as Ben and Mal had just finished giving their welcoming speeches. They knew their King and Queen were about to come down from the terrace and greet their citizens as they had last month's event. The security was far thicker this time, which meant more restricted meet-and-greets, and therefore, more erratic fighting for a spot in line.</p><p>Ben's nervous energy was relentless. So relentless, that he had dissociated through his entire speech. He didn't know how well he did, but he had faith in his autopilot, and by the energy of the crowd, he was sure it wasn't nearly as bad as the last speech he'd given. But his autopilot could only do so much. He had given a mere hum to whatever Mal had just said, while his eyes remained glued to the screaming people before them.</p><p>"Are you worried because of what happened?" Mal's voice asked, "With Harry?"</p><p>Ben's focus snapped to her and his breath nearly caught in his throat as he plummeted back into reality.</p><p>"W— What?"</p><p>"With him getting jumped?" She specified, then gestured to his watch, "And you getting robbed last time? I can understand why it would be nerve-wracking being back here."</p><p>Ben's next breath reassured him. Right. Uma had eventually informed the group of Harry's "unfortunate scuffle" with "a bunch of drunk, violent, and <em>completely</em> <em>random</em> men". Kindly, she left Ben's name out of the story.</p><p>"Oh," Ben sighed, eyeing the crowd again, "Yeah, actually." That was probably the first truth he's told his fiancee in a while. Obviously, there was still more that added to the nausea he was currently feeling. Like the accumulation of stress he endured the past two weeks of not seeing Harry at all and receiving only one or two texts of bland assurance from Uma. And the stress of having to hide very prominent and painful bruising along his torso from the person he lived, changed, and slept next to. Despite those reasons adding to it, it <em>was</em> true that he was terrified of being back here after past negative encounters. He'd hate to find those men among the crowd.</p><p>Mal stopped, which made Ben stop. She looked deeply at him with a sad, reassuring smile. She grabbed both of his hands and squeezed them again.</p><p>"Ben," She said with a warmth to her voice, "If you want to talk about it before we go out there, you can. I really appreciated you opening up about your feelings last week. The pressure and anxiety are completely understandable and normal feelings to have and I really want to help you work through it. I don't want you to be ashamed of it. I don't want you to feel like you need to keep hiding it from me."</p><p>Ben stared at her. Well, he stared at someplace in front of her. At this wall that stood between them built of bricks of guilt and anger and self-loathing. Agreeing that he was scared to be back at the Isle really was the first truth he's told her in a while. Even when he sat her down last week and spilled his confession as Jay forcefully advised, he still wasn't truthful. It was as much of the truth as he told Jay, but still... omitting the full story.</p><p>It was enough of the truth that if Jay were to ask Mal "Did Ben finally talk to you?", she would say, "Yes, he did." If he were to ask, "What did he tell you?", she would say, "He told me he's been overwhelmed and struggling emotionally the past few years and it's terrified him to admit it out of fear of what his family would say or what the kingdom would think. And he told me he talked to Harry about it while he was at the Isle for the program interviews." Thankfully, he never admitted to Jay that the educational program was complete bullshit. He definitely wasn't ready to admit that to anyone. So everything was vague enough that Jay would be assured Ben did open up to Mal. And while Mal was initially upset about him hiding this, Jay could rest easy knowing she was okay and things were getting worked out.</p><p>He had no idea if Jay <em>had</em> talked to Mal, but Jay had certainly gotten off of Ben's back about it, and admittedly, that was the goal. Getting Jay off of his back. He wished he could say the goal of opening up to Mal was finally being honest with her. He really, really wanted it to be. But the screaming voice inside him, telling him how unanimously despised he was going to be— how ashamed everyone would be in him— kept him cowering back to the comfort of lying. Because he knew with just a bit more time, he could get everything in order the way it was supposed to be.</p><p>He had to settle here and face the wall of guilt he deserved to stand behind. He could do that, so long as it meant he still had everyone. He was still doing his job the way a King should. Honesty and happiness and true love didn't matter. He had to keep reminding himself. Being looked up to and being the archetype of nobility and having a perfect, sound family and life. That's what matters.</p><p>"I'm—" Ben swallowed with fatigue, "I'm okay for now."</p><p>"Alright. Well if you get overwhelmed it's okay to take a break. Even if we aren't allowing as many people to our table this time, I can see how it would still be kind of stressful with such a large crowd around. Especially when your new best friend won't be there to keep you from getting robbed again," She chuckled then turned to continue her way down the terrace and Ben was quick to follow in step. She added, "I'd ask Harry to help at our table again to watch for more thieves, but Uma seemed pretty insistent he stay with her this time."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Yeah, Uma said he was volunteering again. I was very surprised she didn't force him to stay home and rest more. But she said he insisted he was physically good enough to work and we need all the help we can get." She shrugged her shoulders and remained focused on pleasing the crowd.</p><p>Ben was staring into nothing again, dumbfounded, and feeling his heart pump back to life. Harry was here? He'd actually get to see him today?</p><p>Suddenly he was nervous again and he let his heart pound and pound as he and Mal made their way around the base of the terrace, to the center of the event set up. The booths were set up. Tents. More refreshments. A sectioned off area for workshops. And walking up to meet the King and Queen in the center of it all, their friends. Evie, Jay, Doug, Jane, Uma...</p><p>And Harry.</p><p>Ben's throat tightened and then ached at his struggle to maintain the cry that wanted to escape when he saw him. His legs ached at his struggle to keep himself from running to him. How the hell was he supposed to fake it this time?</p><p>Ben couldn't pry his eyes off of Harry as the group joined together. And Harry was watching him too. It felt like both of them were tied by a rigid string of mutual pain. Speaking through their eyes to each other because their voices would reveal to everyone what happened two weeks ago. Even if everyone understood he and Harry were friends now, and speaking to one another wouldn't be suspicious in anyway, Ben still feared doing so. He couldn't fake anything. Not now.</p><p>Not while looking at his face and seeing his skin yellow and green from his temple down to his chin. The barely healed cuts lining his cheek. His still-puffy and yellow left eye with blotches of purple here and there. The prints around his neck still partially visible.</p><p>"God, Harry," Mal said, "I'm so sorry about what happened. That looks awful."</p><p>"Aye, I'm fine. In a few more days I'll be the handsomest on the Isle again," Harry answered. He spoke in his typical, bantering mannerism, but unlike his other jokes, Ben could hear a lethargy to his words. And his eyes held a misery in them. It got a round of chuckles from the others who were less keen on what was really going through his head.</p><p>Beside Harry, Jay's lips broke into a teasing smile and he shrugged, "I don't know, I think the bruising really highlights your cheekbones."</p><p>"Gosh, Jay, don't make me blush right now. It's quite painful."</p><p>The two shared their laughs but only a second later, Harry's eyes drifted downward again.</p><p>"Well," Mal continued with a chuckle, "We're glad you're well enough to make it, Harry," She turned to the rest of the group, "So. Evie, you're going to start the first workshop for your class..."</p><p>Ben's heart was aching watching Harry. He couldn't follow along as Mal and Jane went over the game plan to the rest of them. Not while he watched Harry. Not while he felt Uma's eyes drilling holes into him as she could clearly <em>see</em> Ben watching Harry.</p><p>He blinked his eyes away. To the ground. It was difficult to keep them away. But with both Jay and Uma standing there, he suddenly could only hear their words in his mind.</p><p>
  <em>'Stop talking to Harry.'</em>
</p><p>
  <em>'Stop concerning yourself with him.'</em>
</p><p>And with the reminder of those words in his head, as well as Harry's now-refusal to look at Ben, it was becoming clear that he wasn't going to be able to speak to Harry. He was here right in front of him. He could see him. But so long as Uma and Jay stood beside them, he couldn't speak to him. That was almost worse than not seeing him at all.</p><p>It was torturous when the group dispersed to their places and Harry left with Uma to the opposite end of the area.</p><p>It was torturous sitting down at the Royal's booth.</p><p>Faking a smile for the crowd.</p><p>Pretending to be the perfect King.</p><p>The past two weeks were difficult. The first few days after the incident were the worst. Trying to cope with what happened and having no contact with the only person he could talk to about it was unimaginably painful. Being surrounded by people he was lying to. People that—when he merely looked at them— his mind would play cruel scenes of them reprimanding him. That's all he could see and hear when he saw them. Their disapproval. He found himself escaping from the claustrophobia of everyone else by shutting himself away in his office from morning to night. He worked.</p><p>He actually worked.</p><p>He worked enough that he managed to pull this event together in the short time he had. His dad greatly doubted his ability to do so. Honestly, <em>he</em> did too. But he did it. Admittedly, his dad offered to handle most of the other unrelated royal work Ben had lined up. To allow his entire focus on this event. As much as Adam probably wanted to prove a point about Ben's reckless announcement, he wasn't going to allow Ben to completely fuck up the event by not getting it done. Thanks, he guessed.</p><p>But honestly, Ben found himself enjoying the work. Which was odd because his work was typically mundane. Signing documents. Signature after signature. Approving budget changes. Approving kingdom developments. It was always horribly mundane. But this? Taking the entirety of the event into his hands. Actually coming up with ideas and arranging things that would be so impactful to the people. This felt <em>rewarding</em>. He couldn't remember the last time something he was <em>supposed</em> to do felt so gratifying.</p><p>He wasn't approving things for other people to do. He was actually <em>doing</em> them. And it felt <em>good</em>. Therapeutic, almost. He got it done so quickly, not only because he trapped himself in his office for hours on end. He got it done so quickly because he genuinely enjoyed it. He found himself picturing Harry and hearing the story of his father. And his heart would pump energy into his hand to keep writing out ideas. Writing out schedules. Writing out any little detail it took to frame the event and the program itself perfectly. He even pondered on infrastructure ideas he wasn't even in charge of, which his dad would probably scold him for wasting time on. Morning to night, he was sucked into the work.</p><p>Although he didn't completely like the idea of going back to the Isle, he was actually looking forward to seeing the work he'd put so much effort into come to life and bring hope to people.</p><p>He had no idea Harry would <em>be</em> here. Seeing him took everything his mind channeled into, and shoved it away. It was like Harry fueled his motivation to focus on the program in the first place, only to destroy it the second he physically appeared.</p><p>And now, he couldn't do anything without trying to watch him out the corner of his eye. The distractions were back. The worry was back. The longing was back.</p><p>After an hour of interviews and meeting people, they finally got their break and while Mal went to check in with Uma, Ben remained at the booth. He couldn't go over there. So he pulled out the notebook he brought with him and flipped over the pages of ideas he had sketched out over the past two weeks. And he tried to work again. To draw his mind to the ideas and forget Harry was standing meters away.</p><p>He landed on the latest page he worked on and stared down at the illustration of plans that had circulated his head. Rough ideas for a project which he knew was nowhere near what he was supposed to be focusing his attention on now. But they were the ideas his hand found itself creating as Harry's voice had passed through his mind.</p><p>A new hospital.</p><p>He stared at the page. Then he picked up a pen from the table and let it continue gliding over the paper. Burying his nose into the ideas as if it were a therapeutic coloring book. Until his distracted mind started to cooperate again.</p><p>After a few minutes of thinking over the ideas and jotting down lists, it started to work. He became numb to the senses of his environment. Mindless of the volunteers working and weaving around his table. He was imagining a place in which no child would ever have to worry about losing their loved one to a simple cut left untreated. A building that ended the cycle of neglect. He pictured it alongside the new school. Alongside a food shelter. Surrounded by <em>real</em> housing. He pictured Harry in his red and black floral suit. Dressed lavishly not as a gift for one night, but as his regular attire. Because in this world, he never had to live in poverty. He had his father. He had a castle. He had everything Ben had. He had Be-</p><p>Several swift knocks on the table in front of him nearly made him leap out of his trance. His eyes shot up, frowning and ready to question the volunteer that interrupted his thoughts. But he saw the light blue eyes looking back at him. He held his breath seeing the lips that were bruised, yet still curled in a secretive smile.</p><p>With a dart of his eyes and an almost imperceptible nod of his head, Harry gestured down to the table. And that was that before a second later he was ambling off back toward Uma as if he'd only coincidentally passed by Ben. Ben watched him leave before looking down where he gestured to and saw a paper boat sitting just in front of him.</p><p>He blinked in disbelief. Glanced back at Harry shortly. Then picked it up.</p><p>The messy writing on the side said "Please Read."</p><p>Ben felt a small breath escape him before his fingers worked to unfold the boat. It was one of the job application forms they had been passing out. On the back was a short note and Ben felt his body flood with weakness as he read it.</p><p>It wrote:</p><p>
  <em>"SOS. Uma has me on house arrest. I am strictly forbidden to talk to you, so apologies for not stopping by your booth and checking in. I'm certain she gave you a similar order too.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Despite my absolute love and devotion to my captain, I feel like I owe you an explanation and an apology for getting you caught up in that mess. And I need to taste freedom again before I go mad. Still have that map I gave you? Uma will be working overnight Sunday. Meet me there 8pm?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm glad you didn't get hurt. I hope you are well.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>PS. These job applications are just as shit as those surveys."</em>
</p><p>God... Ben flipped the form to the front and stared at the application questions. Some of them filled out by Harry with more bullshit responses as he had done with the survey. But unlike last time, it brought Ben so much relief and familiarity to read them.</p><p>Meeting him again wasn't a good idea. It was the opposite of a good idea. The snowball of his wrongdoings was already so large. But he needed to talk to him. At least one time, to gain affirmation. To relieve the anxiety that was peaking within Ben from being cut off from his friend so abruptly.</p><p>And maybe together they could figure out a way to assure Jay and Uma that their friendship wasn't a problem. That everything was fine and things were being solved. They could work everything out.</p><p>One more secret meeting. Just <em>one</em> more. He could sacrifice his honor once more if it meant stopping the snowball in its tracks for good.</p><p>Ben tapped his pen on the table and thought about Sunday night at 8pm.</p><p>Then, with a twitch of a hopeful grin he wrote back:</p><p>
  <em>"As long as you don't make me wait 2 hours again. I'll be there."</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know this chapter is surprisingly short compared to the others, so for that reason I will get the next one out right away!<br/>Thanks so much for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Waters Enchanted, Waters Uncharted</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>[CW: self-harm reference/mention]</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Uma was right; these secret meetings were only going to bring trouble for everyone.</p><p>But Harry was <em>also</em> right; he couldn't stay away from Ben. No matter how much he told himself how right Uma was. No matter how loyal he was to her. No matter how much he agreed with her. He couldn't stay away.</p><p>Two weeks under house arrest (or ship arrest), was enough to realize just how impossible it was to pretend he could forget Ben. And he tried. He really really tried to forget him. Then his hands would find the pocket watch and he would stare down at it. And the pocket watch would stare back at him, with each tick marking not the seconds passing, but the seconds descending to the moment he would crack. Eventually, he was going to crack because every second that did pass, his feelings for Ben would only grow and grow.</p><p>He wanted to be with him. To see his innocent smile again and feel the joy that swarmed him every time he made him laugh. He wanted to feel the way he felt when he danced with him again. He never thought in his entire life that he'd become so enraptured by someone like this. A boy from Auradon. <em>The</em> boy from Auradon. The actual King...</p><p>King... King Benjamin.</p><p>The name he had repeated in his head so many times to fight the feelings off. To remind him he was ridiculous for allowing any feelings to ever develop. He <em>was</em> ridiculous for it. Yet here he stood. On the side of the forest pathway, listening to the crickets start to chirp at the lowering sun. Feeling the breeze of the evening winds sliding through the trees. Waiting for Ben with the watch in his hand reading just past eight o'clock.</p><p>He bit the inside of his cheek. God maybe this was a stupid idea. It <em>was</em> a stupid idea. What was he thinking? He should go back. It wasn't worth it. Stop now before the pain of Ben not showing up broke him. Or Ben <em>showing</em> up and him falling harder. Fuck this was such a mistake. Such a stupid, childish grasp for a fairytale romance. Harry Hook. Letting an Auradon boy wrap him around his finger.</p><p>"You're here."</p><p>Harry looked up at the familiar, soft voice, which made him forcefully exhale his oncoming panic. The warm, wading light that peaked through the trees fell onto Ben's form, turning his hair golden and making his eyes glimmer brighter than ever. Seeing him approach made Harry realize that it didn't matter how stupid he could ever think this was. He was exactly where he wanted to be.</p><p>Harry waved the pocket watch and said, "Right on time as you requested."</p><p>The sight of Ben's expression hopping with a flash of youthful excitement was divine. Seeing him stride forward, closing the space between them administered some of that youthful excitement to Harry. He was more than ready to receive Ben with a smile and familiar words of greeting, but Ben didn't stop or slow down. Then he was feet from Harry. Then inches. Then before Harry could even register, Ben's hands were sliding under his arms and around his torso and he was pressing his body into Harry's. Pulling Harry's chest into him.</p><p>And Harry was speechless.</p><p>The hug was unfamiliar yet the most familiar thing ever. A noise of astonishment fumbled out of his mouth. Regretfully. Because it made Ben pull away immediately.</p><p>"Oh shit, I'm sorry!" His brows strained with adorable concern, "I forgot you're probably bruised everywhere." Harry grinned awkwardly. He didn't want to admit the noise was out of shock rather than pain- which he hadn't felt <em>because</em> of the shock.</p><p>"Aye, it's okay."</p><p>"How are you?" Ben began to press with urgency, looking over the battered side of Harry's face, "God I've been so fucking worried I had no idea what to do. Uma wouldn't let me talk to you at all and she barely responded to any of my messages. It's been awful. I mean—... I mean that was—..." He shook his head, baffled and unable to put the proper words together.</p><p>"I know," Harry grit his teeth in embarrassment, still recovering from the pleasant surprise of their hug "It wasn't how I was planning that afternoon to end up. But I was fine, really. I may have taken quite the hit, but at least I can say I recovered rather impressively."</p><p>"Thank God," Ben squinted with a warming sincerity.</p><p>"How about you?" Harry asked, looking over Ben's unscathed features, feeling frustrated with guilt at his involvement in the fight, "Uma said you got back fine, but... Like you, she didn't give me any thorough updates past that."</p><p>Ben shrugged, then turned down the path they were on and started walking. Harry turned with him and the two began strolling through the forest toward their mutual, subconscious destination.</p><p>"I was okay. Just pretty shocked. It hasn't been fun hiding these bruises from Mal."</p><p>Harry felt a pang in his heart, watching him out of the side of his gaze before staring at the dirt path in front of him and saying, "I'm so sorry, Ben. None of that should have happened. I should have gotten you out of there before it escalated. I... really fucked up... And I hate that you were forced to involve Uma like that..."</p><p>"Please don't worry about me," Ben insisted, "I'm fine. Yeah, Uma and Jay are now onto me for sneaking around, but that's my own doing. You shouldn't be sorry about that. I'm more or less getting things under control, anyway." Ben glanced the other way, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Besides, keeping those guys from seriously hurting you is way more important to me than protecting my stupid lies."</p><p>The pain Ben was trying to hide by looking away was clearly visible. There was a hint of self-contempt. And exhaustion. Harry wanted to hug him again.</p><p>Ben kicked a rock off the path and said, "Also it's not even your fault they attacked us in the first place. If anything, it's mine. For their friend getting arrested."</p><p>Harry frowned, "You sent the guards after the thief?"</p><p>"Well... no. <em>I</em> didn't," Ben shook his head, "I had no idea there was an arrest. I found out after that my parents sent the order."</p><p>"Your parents? Can they even do that?"</p><p>"Uh," Ben hesitated, "Well, yeah. As I said before they still hold their titles. And I wasn't there to overrule it, so..."</p><p>"So it's <em>their</em> fault?"</p><p>"Well yeah, I guess technically."</p><p>"So then why do you say it's your fault?" Harry didn't mean to interrogate him, but he had become instantly frustrated with the idea of Ben's parents once again utilizing their authority for a meaningless and royally overbearing gesture. And for Ben once again feeling the need to take responsibility for it. Ben had fallen silent, thinking for a moment before sighing.</p><p>"I don't know. I guess I shouldn't have let it slip to them that I got my watch stolen."</p><p>"I think you should be able to tell your parents about getting robbed without worrying about it causing them to do something drastic."</p><p>Ben breathed out a laugh. But Harry hadn't meant for it to be a joke in the slightest, which had him staring at Ben beside him. Blinking in bafflement. Then frowning. He considered reiterating in a way that wouldn't allow Ben to laugh it off, but he gave up on that. To push past the aggravation that started to boil, Harry decided to carry on the previous point.</p><p>"What happened wasn't your fault, Ben. I wish you'd stop lettin' your parent's shit actions slide."</p><p>Ben stopped in his tracks, frowning. "What do you mean letting it slide?" Harry stopped a few paces ahead and turned with instant regret. He looked over Ben's face and seeing him looking defensive and almost hurt by Harry's words felt awful. Harry didn't mean it like that. He drifted back to Ben, sighing with apology.</p><p>"I meant, you take the flack for everything they do. Not that you <em>allow</em> them to do shitty things. Just that ya' blame yourself when they do. It's almost like they get away with it because <em>you're</em> ready to take the criticism for them."</p><p>Ben was staring at the ground, silent.</p><p>"I just wish ya' didn't," Harry offered him a grin, "Because you don't deserve that kind of criticism." Then, Ben looked up to meet him and Harry did everything he could to telepathically pull the pain out of those brilliant hazel eyes. He felt the urge to hug him <em>again</em>. Or to reach for his hand and intertwine it with his and express to Ben just how much it was <em>love</em> he deserved and not criticism, and that Harry was here to give—</p><p>Harry's mouth became dry at the next numb breath he took in.</p><p>Did he... really just think that? Not that he meant anything by it, because objectively speaking, Ben did deserve love, but... well... Now his body was growing hot at the second mention of the word in his mind. Okay now this is just a bit dramatic. And it's frivolous to ponder using such a... you know... <em>broad</em> word... as... as he thought about holding Ben's hand and... Okay now he was just <em>intentionally</em> overthinking this... Come on Harry, you can be a bit dramatic, but <em>this</em> was... worrying. Nervous laughter rolled out of the back of his throat, which he quickly tried to make sound voluntary.</p><p>"I mean, ya' definitely deserve criticism," Harry teasingly nudged Ben's shoulder with the curve of his hook, "For sneakin' around with pirates. But not for things your parents did." He gave him another grin before he swirled back around to continue down their path. His smile broke the second his back was on Ben.</p><p>He heard Ben following after him and his mind was desperate to keep talking to mask the awkward energy that had overtaken him.</p><p>"Besides," Harry went on, "It was me that really got us in that mess. Even if yer parents' actions got those men out looking for blood in the first place, <em>I'm</em> the one that really pissed 'em off. And I'm the one who should've kept walking while they antagonized us. Which is why I owed you an apology."</p><p>"They were saying some terrible stuff, I don't blame you for snapping."</p><p>"Yes well I shouldn't have done it. Especially not with you there."</p><p>The path they walked on turned into small descending steps that trailed down to a more open area just beyond. It was harder to see with the evening turning to night, but just past the line of trees was the Enchanted Lake. With a few more steps, the two could see it in full view. The moon above them gave just enough light to express the beauty of the area around them. It looked different in the darker light. It was like the day made it a happy, sparkling monument in the forest and when you saw it, you trusted the magic inside it. But at night, you could feel the magic of it. It was extraordinary and eerie and the sight of the glowing rocks that decorated the lake bottom was entrancing. He stared in fascination at the body of water from where they stood, until Ben spoke again.</p><p>"Who were they?" He asked, which made Harry turn back to him, an eyebrow cocked, "Back at the alley you said you knew them."</p><p>Harry sighed, "They were at the chip shop one day. They were being loud and obnoxious  and I may have said a few words."</p><p>"Oh..." Ben frowned, "About what?" Harry half winced at the question. God, was he really going to have to tell Ben how he got defensive over their trash-talking of Auradon?</p><p>"Uh... politics..." He answered, remembering what Uma had jokingly referred to it as. He looked back to the lake to hide his embarrassed wincing, but Ben moved around him, studying him with curious, squinted eyes.</p><p>"Politics?"</p><p>Harry huffed, "Aye, politics. They were talking out their asses about you, and Mal, and the kingdom and I was just valiantly defending the King's honor. Like any loyal subject would." He carried on forward casually, down the steps and into the open area until they were by the ruins that stretched over the glimmering lake. Ben had followed beside him with a sudden eagerness at his response.</p><p>"Defending my honor, huh?" Ben chuckled and Harry wanted to melt at the way Ben was unknowingly blushing at him, "So is that what you were doing back at the alley, then? Defending my honor?"</p><p>Harry felt a tension in his chest. His forefinger ran along the back of his hook mindlessly as he thought back to the men confronting them. He had been terrified, admittedly, of one of them recognizing Ben. And he had been terrified of them hurting Ben. There wasn't exactly an answer as to what allowed his anger to take control like that, which evidently led to both outcomes he feared coming true.</p><p>Harry had been in many fights before, most of which he instigated. Confrontation was almost comfortable to him. He could attribute this one to his natural draw toward it. But it was still different. Very different. The last thing he wanted at that moment was to fight, yet his body did the exact opposite to deescalate the situation. His blood was pumping the anger through him as if it begged him to throw himself into the fire.</p><p>Anger.. Was it even anger? No, it wasn't. Honestly, it was fear.</p><p>And the fear didn't start when the men arrived. It started in the cave with Ben the second he realized the feelings he had for him had been mutual. And the fear lingered through their trek back to Ben's car. It grew when they saw the men. It grew with every word they spat at him. It grew when he realized the burden of maintaining the situation laid entirely on him. And when he realized Ben's safety laid on him, too. It multiplied when they spoke his father's name and he realized the burden of maintaining his own anger laid on him too. He had so much to maintain. So much to control. Why did he have to have it? Why did he have to have the responsibility of their safety? Why did he have to have Ben there with him?</p><p>Why did he have to keep <em>having</em> things if they were alway fucking ripped away from him?  If they always slipped out of his fingers? Every fucking time. Even his own self control. </p><p>"Harry, are you okay?"</p><p>Harry blinked, drawing his blank stare back to Ben and cleared his throat, saying, "Aye..." His voice was shakier than he intended, "I wish I could say I was simply defending yer honor," he looked back off into space, "But honestly, I'm not too sure what happened."</p><p>He had been so terrified of losing control that he threw it away voluntarily before the men could take it from him.</p><p>He swallowed tensely and continued, "I wanted to leave. And to get you out of there. But I guess I was just overcome with this... <em>fear</em>—" he decided to be honest, "—That I couldn't do it and that no matter what I did they were just going to start a fight anyway. And I knew they were just tryin' to piss me off but hearin' them speak like that about you. About my father. I don't know... I just... I just—"</p><p>"Harry stop."</p><p>"—What?"</p><p>"Stop <em>doing that</em>," Ben said in a sharper tone, before he reached out abruptly and pulled Harry's hook out of his own hands. Stunned, Harry couldn't even react in time to resist it.</p><p>"What the hell are ya talkin' about?" He said, now frowning at his hook in Ben's grasp.</p><p>"You do that... <em>thing</em>," Ben threw a finger back at Harry's hands, "When you talk sometimes. You start messing with your hook and I feel like you're going to put a hole through your finger or something. Or like you're <em>trying</em> to." Harry looked down where Ben gestured, at the small indention in his thumb where the sharp tip of his hook had unknowingly been pressing into. He hadn't even noticed.</p><p>"I'm... sorry?" He didn't know how to respond. Honestly he was still in shock that Ben actually reached out and grabbed his hook from him like that. So few on this planet ever <em>dared</em>. The audacity.</p><p>"Is that like a... nervous tick or something?"</p><p>"I—" Harry could not get over his shock; he was blindsided, "I don't know? I don't see how it matters if it is."</p><p>"It matters because I feel like you're going to hurt yourself."</p><p>Harry looked as dumbfounded as he felt. He managed to scoff sourly and say, "Aye, Ben, that's a <em>tad</em> dramatic. I'm not hurting myself. Now give me back me hook."</p><p>"No," Ben held it closer to himself, frowning, "It's not dramatic to point out unhealthy habits like that."</p><p>"Unhealthy? Come on," Harry narrowed his eyes, "It's not much different from... say... biting nails or something?"</p><p>"Yeah and biting nails isn't good either. Nervous habits aren't <em>good</em>, Harry."</p><p>"It's not a nervous habit..."</p><p>"It's not?" Ben's frown grew, "Then why do you do it when you start talking about things that bother you? Like, you were doing it back at the cave when you were talking about losing your friends. And even the first time we were here you were doing it. When you were talking about why you couldn't live in Auradon. Which I know now is mostly because of your dad."</p><p>Harry felt his hands begin fidgeting at the reversed interrogation— which, thanks to Ben, he was now hyperaware of. His hand balled into a fist and he felt his own nail digging in his palm. Fuck. He grit his teeth and frowned stubbornly at Ben, who glanced down at his hands, then back at him in a manner that spoke how much his point was just proven. <em>Fuck</em>.</p><p>Harry opened his hand and rolled his eyes, looking off to the side.</p><p>"This is a ridiculous thing to worry about."</p><p>"No, if you get to bring up me being a pushover to my parents, then I get to bring up you actually <em>hurting</em> yourself when you get distressed."</p><p>"Okay, I <em>never</em> called you a pushover. I'm <em>not</em> hurting meself. And I'm <em>not</em> distressed."</p><p>"It's okay if you are distressed," Ben said, dipping his head in clarity.</p><p>"And what would I be distressed about?" Harry asked, knitting his eyebrows at the way Ben was analyzing him, "I mean, aside from this dreadful interrogation."</p><p>"I'm not interrogating you— at least, that's not my intention. I just want to make sure you're okay."</p><p>"I've never been better," Harry gave him a fake smile, "Okay, Princess? Now give me back me hook and I swear I won't kill ya' for taking it from me."</p><p>"Don't call me Princess for caring about you, <em>Asshole,</em>" Ben griped. His eyes were narrowed, but the begrudged humor of his tone made Harry want to chuckle. Instead, he gasped and put his hand on his heart.</p><p>"Her Royal Highness <em>cares</em> about me!"</p><p>"Okay, well you're <em>definitely</em> not getting it back, now."</p><p>"Ben..." Harry tried to match the comically stern look that Ben wore, trying so hard not to succumb to his goddamn adorable underlying smirk, "I will throw you into the lake. I've done it once, I will do it again. <em>Give me the hook</em>."</p><p>Ben remained in place, gripping the hook, clearly unyielding. Harry's tongue poked at the corner of his mouth, contemplating how many seconds to give Ben before his threat would have to be enacted. Ben needed to understand Harry did not bluff. But Ben decided to test his fate with a doubtful and dismissive shrug of his lips. And that was all the cue Harry needed.</p><p>Ben had merely half a second to attempt an escape as Harry lunged forward and grabbed for him. Surprise sounded from his mouth, and he tried to twist around at the last moment, but his arm was almost instantly in Harry's grasp and the pirate was pulling him back. Toward the lake. Ben was fighting for the opposite direction, still managing to hold the hook with his free arm, beyond Harry's grasping range. The two struggled like fighting children, equally as stubborn as well, and the sudden awareness of their scuffle made both of them start laughing in the midst of each motion.</p><p>Ben was far stronger than Harry gave him credit for, but Harry still managed to fight for a better hold on him. Alas, he was successfully dragging him toward the edge of the ruins with Ben barking out laughs of protest at each foot they got closer to it. Digging his feet into the ground futilely to resist. When they were a step from the edge, Ben quickly seemed to realize Harry was not joking.</p><p>"Okay. Okay. <em>Okay</em>! OKAY!" Ben conceded and partially dropped his weight as a final, desperate form of protest. He waved the hook in surrender and Harry, satisfied (yet slightly disappointed in him surrendering before getting to throw him in again), plucked the hook out of his hand and released him.</p><p>Once Ben was fumbling away from him, he grinned and laughed, "Ah, I knew you couldn't stand getting yer fancy clothes wet again."</p><p>Ben regained himself, panting and trying to frown in opposition, but looking more adorable with his sour defeat. He eyed Harry up and down and asked, "How are you so strong, you're supposed to be <em>injured?</em> Ugh. Never mind," Ben shook his head, "No, although I have a change of clothes in my car for the very probability of getting pushed in again, I'd <em>much</em> prefer not ruining another outfit of mine."</p><p>Harry stood back, marveling at Ben brushing out the wrinkles in his clothes, and wondering what ever made him so confident this man was straight. His fingers toyed with the engraved patterns on the base of his hook as he watched him and he could feel a tension in his cheekbones from the way the sight of him was making him smile. He turned to look at the lake. The reflection of the moon and stars glossed over the surface of the water like a silk painting. The glowing rocks at the bottom marked the varying depths of the lake, making the painting look like it was floating in the air, rather than sitting as a reflection on the water. He wanted to jump in it.</p><p>He turned back to Ben and said, "Well, since ya' gave me my hook back, I'm giving you the chance to take 'em off first."</p><p>"Huh?" Ben looked back up, squinting in question as Harry began shrugging off his coat.</p><p>"What? My clothes may not be designer like yours, but that doesn't mean I want to go back home with them soaked again, either." Harry chuckled at his expression as he tossed his coat on the ground and worked for his shirt next.</p><p>"No I meant what are you..." Ben's voice trailed off as soon as Harry's torso became bare. It was like he had forgotten he was speaking as his eyes were now glued to Harry's body. He had to admit, having Ben's eyes so unapologetically roving over him was a treat, even if it was the bruising along his ribcage he was staring at and not the rest.</p><p>"I'm getting in the lake, Ben," Harry clarified with a laugh, moving to unbuckle his pants while simultaneously kicking off his shoes, "I've been holed up at the ship for too long and I deserve a nice, relaxing swim. And that water is calling me name."</p><p>Ben's eyes dropped to Harry's pants as he unfastened them, then he looked back up as they fell from his hips. Ben cleared his throat and frowned, saying, "I feel like you're just trying to avoid continuing our last conversation."</p><p>Harry, now standing in his boxers and basking in the sudden tension in Ben's demeanor, scoffed and shook his head.</p><p>"I have no idea what yer talkin' about," he said, shrugging and turning to move to find a deeper area of the lake. He heard Ben call his name with uncertainty, but Harry only chuckled and stepped to the edge. The lake sparkled below its surface, which made it so much more satisfying when he dove gracefully head-first into its depths.</p><p>The water was chilled— colder than the first time they jumped in during the warmer morning daylight— but not freezing. It felt as fresh and as welcoming as it had looked. He returned to the surface, breaking through it and turning back to where Ben still stood on the ruins. With a shake of his head to clear some of the water from his soaked hair, he laughed and beckoned for Ben.</p><p>"Come <em>on</em>, Ben," He treaded the water with ease, "You deserve a relaxing swim just as much as I do."</p><p>"Harry I—" His mouth was dropped with hesitancy, "I don't think—"</p><p>"Come <em>onnnnnn</em>," Harry urged, "I know ya' want to! Just one nice moment to relax and not stress about the headaches of life. Come on," He splashed the water in front of him, "Have a bit of fun with your friend after <em>weeks</em> of not seeing him."</p><p>Ben still remained just as hesitant as before. But after another minute of persistence from Harry, he finally groaned in concession.</p><p>"<em>Fine</em>," Ben said, and Harry couldn't hide his grin of accomplishment. Well, grin of excitement, really.</p><p>And then it was his turn to unapologetically rove over Ben's body as he removed his shirt. It was his turn to stare at the slight discoloration of bruising on his stomach, which he felt a pang of guilt over. The guilt quickly vanished, though, once Ben was out of his slacks and at the edge of the stone platform, standing in nothing except his slim-fitting boxers.</p><p>Suddenly, Harry couldn't even pay mind to the bruises. Seeing his entire, lithe figure right before him, posed on the stone platform like a divine sculpture, had Harry tight-lipped. Yes, he expected Ben to remove his clothes to get into the water, just as <em>he</em> did, but that didn't detract from the shock he felt actually seeing him so bare. It was almost like he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to. Like he wasn't supposed to see the King of Auradon in boxer briefs with barely anything left to his imagination. Like he wasn't supposed to have this opportunity to ogle his exhibited body. The way his muscles harmonized with his athletic and noble figure. The way the limited material shaped his perfect thighs and ass and hips. Or the way the light from the moon and lake touched the subtle curves of his torso in ways that made Harry's hands and lips envious. God. It was like he was given a beautiful gift, unwrapped in front of him, that he wasn't allowed to touch.</p><p>Ben didn't take the graceful route of diving into the water as Harry had. Instead he took the least performative route by first sitting down on the stone edge and sliding into the water with care. Still, he managed to be incredibly glamorous doing so. Ben walked further toward the center of the lake where Harry was and when the water was up to his chest, he took the opportunity to fully submerge himself. His head disappeared under the water for merely a couple seconds before he came back up and combed back his now drenched hair, laughing when his eyes met Harry. And Harry's smile was stupid and filled with bliss from seeing him finally give into the enjoyment.</p><p>Harry watched droplets slide off the tips of Ben's hair and the tip of his nose, falling back onto the surface of the water to create tiny, glimmering ripples. His eyes were drawn below them, through the clear water and onto the bottom, where under their feet were rocks that glowed like cool, powerful orbs of light. He dove down to retrieve one.</p><p>When he came back up, he held it out of the water and studied it. It felt like a normal rock, but the glowing was something he never expected to see.</p><p>"Do all of the lakes in Auradon have glowing rocks like this?" Harry asked.</p><p>Ben laughed, "No, I've only seen that here."</p><p>"What are they?"</p><p>"I don't entirely know, actually. It's an effect of the lake, though. The magic, I guess."</p><p>"Huh," Harry frowned, then raised an eyebrow, "Are they... you know... valuable?"</p><p>Ben laughed again, "If you're asking if you could steal one to sell it, no." Harry scoffed in disappointment, to which Ben continued, "They stop glowing when they're out of the water long enough anyway."</p><p>Harry sighed, then watched as he let the rock drop and sink back to the bottom. Once it joined the others, he looked back up and said, "Worth a shot to ask." Ben rolled his eyes with a knowing smile wide on his face. When they met Harry again, Harry saw the lights from the lake sparkling off them, and they were shining just as beautifully as the rock he had held. Who needed the rocks anyway when these eyes were far more gratifying to look at?</p><p>With a glance down, Ben broke the silence again and asked, "So what have you been doing these past two weeks?"</p><p>Harry sighed, leaning back into the water to briefly gaze up at the night sky to say, "Healing from a tragic brawl in an alleyway. Trying to ignore the excruciating pain in me ribs. Crying over me face being so ruthlessly robbed of its beauty," he looked back at Ben with a sneer, "How about you?"</p><p>He stuttered a nervous laugh, then said, "Sorry, that was a stupid question."</p><p>"I wish I had something more exciting to tell ya'. But it really has been an excruciatingly dull couple weeks of resting. And I'm far more interested in how things have been going on your part, anyway."</p><p>"Well," Ben exhaled, looking off into nowhere, "It's been more uneventful than you probably expect. I uh— talked to Jay?"</p><p>"You did?" Harry perked in interest.</p><p>"Well, <em>he</em> talked to <em>me</em>, really. He just questioned me further about what you and I are doing. About what happened at the ball. And why I've been lying."</p><p>"And what did you tell him?"</p><p>"I told him about the curse ordeal," Ben scratched his head awkwardly, "And how I met with you. I— I didn't tell him about Mal though. I just—... I can't do that. But I told him about most everything else. How we only met to settle the curse situation and that... we're friends now. He still seemed pretty skeptical though. I... don't think he really likes the idea of us being friends."</p><p>It was a lot of information to take in and Harry didn't know which part to react to. On one hand, it was relieving to hear that he opened up to Jay. On the other, it stung that Ben was still holding onto his feigned feelings for Mal. Why couldn't he just accept it and be honest and break things off and— no.. No. This isn't about you, Harry. Still, he felt sick. And frustrated.</p><p>The frustration was growing.</p><p>And his hope was crumbling.</p><p>"I think it's less about us being friends and more about the sneaking around that he doesn't like," Harry decided to say. He swallowed dryly, "But... I'm glad you opened up a bit to him. Even if it wasn't <em>everything</em>, it's... a good step."</p><p>"Yeah, and thankfully he's backed off since, so that gives me some space to figure out what I'm going to do."</p><p><em>'Tell the truth,'</em> Harry refrained from suggesting, <em>'Please, Ben.'</em></p><p>
  <em>'I don't want us to be a lie.'</em>
</p><p>Ben continued, "I want to do what's right. But whenever I consider actually telling the truth, I just see everyone around me hurt and angry. And everything just falls to pieces. And for what? All for my feelings? I just feel like that's so selfish, and as a King, it's irresponsible to put my feelings before the good of the kingdom."</p><p>Ben would never know how painful it was for Harry to hear that. He was shaking under the water. He wanted to scream to Ben how much his feelings <em>did</em> matter because they weren't just his feelings. They were Mal's feelings. They were their friends' feelings. They were the Kingdom's feelings. And they were Harry's feelings. He wanted to shake Ben and yell at him that being honest wasn't being selfish. He wanted to yell at him, but he also wanted to pull him close and hold him tightly until he realized just how much his feelings did matter even if they were just <em>his feelings</em>. He wanted to vanish into another world with Ben. One where he never lived with any reason to lie to himself or anyone. Where it was just them and they could be together in peace. And maybe if he held him tight enough and willed it strong enough, it could happen.</p><p>But he remained where he was, half-treading and half-standing in the water and watching Ben speak without an idea of how to respond to him. But Ben didn't seem too keen on sticking with the subject. Just speaking about it made him look ill.</p><p>"I just need a bit more time to figure out how I'm going to fix this. That's all. Figure out how to tell her what's going on that won't ruin everything."</p><p>"The last few weeks wasn't enough time?" Harry asked with well-intended sarcasm, hoping to give Ben the opportunity of uplifting the mood again. It seemed to work when he scoffed and gave a look of minimal amusement. Harry loved the way his eyes narrowed while his lips tensed in a struggle to hold back his desire to laugh. Ben pushed his hand out to splash water in Harry's direction, which made Harry chuckle. Then he moved backwards, his arms treading the water to maintain balance as he stepped back onto a slightly shallower area of the lake.</p><p>"Actually, no," Ben said as he drifted through the water, "I was too busy working on the event. It was a lot of work, and typically I wouldn't be in charge of any of that. But, since I announced it at the ball and made a bunch of promises I wasn't supposed to, the responsibility of getting it put together kind of fell mostly on me."</p><p>Harry found his own body drifting to follow Ben.</p><p>"The last event. That was all on you?" Harry asked, and Ben nodded. "And you had two weeks to put it together?" Ben nodded again. Harry raised his eyebrows and gave a hum of disbelief, "Wow. Maybe your two weeks were actually worse than mine."</p><p>Ben chuckled and shook his head, "No, actually, I enjoyed it. It was... kind of fun."</p><p>"<em>Fun</em>?" Harry's face twisted with shock, "That's illegal in Auradon! Especially for the King." Ben chuckled louder this time and although it was dark, he could see him blushing.</p><p>"I know. I know. But honestly, I did really enjoy it. Like, actually getting to put something together for the people. Coming up with ideas and getting to implement them into a program that's going to change so many lives. It's been a while since I've felt actually useful like that. Like I'm actually doing something that matters."</p><p>It was a surprise to see Ben light up so brightly over this new subject. A surprise, but a very pleasant one. And the excitement radiated off him in a way that made Harry's heart flutter. His smile was so incredibly contagious.</p><p>"And I never realized how many ideas I <em>had</em>. Like, there's so much more I want to do. And I got so caught up with the ideas that I started making plans for things we can't even think about starting until this school has been fully fleshed out."</p><p>The joy Harry felt listening to and watching Ben was more magical than the lake surrounding them.</p><p>"Ideas like what?" Harry asked with a curious chuckle, longing to be fed more of Ben's sudden enthusiasm. But Ben's excited expression faltered a bit at the question. His eyes lowered, as if he were hesitant to answer, but then he looked back at Harry and his face was flushed.</p><p>"I— I mean... it's nothing approved by the council, and honestly I don't know if they'd even consider it right now because of our budget and our resources are focused on the school but..." Again, Ben looked nearly embarrassed to speak. Then he shrugged and said, "But... I came up with a pretty thorough pitch for... a hospital," Ben was watching Harry carefully, "For the Isle."</p><p>The fluttering in Harry's heart stilled. His heart wasn't fluttering anymore. It was suddenly very heavy. And the temperature in the lake neutralized to the point where he felt he was simply floating in the air. And all he could feel was the weight of his heart. And all he could see was Ben's gleaming eyes looking back at him. And all he wanted was to kiss him. All he wanted was to run his fingers through his golden hair and pull him close and kiss him until his lips were numb and his lungs were devoid of breath. He wanted to kiss him so badly.</p><p>The only thing stopping him was the weight of his heart keeping him stunned in place. He never knew his heart could feel like this. He never knew <em>he</em> could feel like this over progressive civic plans for the Isle. Even the announcement of the barrier being brought down didn't feel this... special. This is personal.</p><p>Looking at Ben now, his heart was getting heavier and heavier and he realized it's because it was growing. Every beautiful sensation he felt when he looked at Ben was amplifying. By a thousand. All at once. And it was so fast. Like leaping from the clouds, there was no turning back and there was no stopping the fall and there was no slowing down. All he could do was surrender his weak soul to the relentless pull of gravity and trust that where he landed was exactly where he was supposed to be.</p><p>"Uh— Like I said," Ben went on while Harry's words were nowhere to be found, "It's... probably going to be a while before I can actually present it to the council. I still have a few more things to work out for the pitch since I want it to be perfect and I also don't want to neglect the school, because I want that to be perfect too..."</p><p><em>'Ben stop talking.'</em> Harry didn't think his heart could take many more words from him right now. Finally, Harry found his words to interrupt him before he melted from the blissful rambling.</p><p>"Ben that's—" His voice was weak, "—That's going to change a lot of lives. It's going to mean a lot to a lot of people. It—" He struggled to convey what he really felt, "It means a lot to <em>me.</em>" His voice dropped to a whisper at the last part. The abashment in Ben returned.</p><p>"I'm glad," Ben searched over Harry's face, "Everything you said at the museum influenced the ideas for it. It's... long overdue, but I'm going to do everything I can to make it happen as soon as possible."</p><p>Harry was losing his words again. Ben relaxed back into the water, his hands moving under the surface to balance him.</p><p>He looked off to the side and said, "We just have to get the building plans for the school moving along first. But I think if I work overtime a bit everyday to actually help work on it, I could get things going. I'd like to see it progressing faster. Not just so we can start other projects, but so we don't have to wait so long for its opening day."</p><p>"I bet that will be monumental," Harry expressed, regaining his strength.</p><p>Ben breathed out a wistful, "Yeah."</p><p>"And I'm certain you'll have an over-the-top annual ball for that too, just like for the barrier."</p><p>"Oh, of <em>course</em>," Ben's smile quickly grew sly, "With <em>lots</em> of dancing, just for you."</p><p>Harry couldn't pull his eyes away from him. He wanted to sink into the purity of his energy. With an unashamed, coquettish tilt of his head, he replied, "Ah, well I guess you'll have to show me more of your ballroom dances, then."</p><p>He didn't think Ben could blush harder, but he did. Then he said, "I'll make you a professional dancer in no time. And hey, maybe by then, you could have your own fully choreographed dance to show off your skills."</p><p>Harry didn't notice himself drifting closer to Ben. It was like the lake suddenly had a current and the invisible force drew the two of them together. Their eyes were on each other's. Their attention on each other and not a single thing else around them.</p><p>"Oh!" Harry laughed, "Then I could do all those fancy lifts you chickened out on teaching me the last time."</p><p>"I didn't chicken out."</p><p>"Yes you did."</p><p>"Okay, I'm sorry I didn't want you <em>dropping</em> me on the <em>stone ground</em>."</p><p>"Pfff, I wouldn't have dropped you," Harry dismissed the remark with offense, "I'm pretty sure I could pick you up no problem."</p><p>"That wasn't an insult to your muscles, Harry, don't worry," Ben sneered, and Harry didn't let it mentally slip when Ben's gaze naturally fell down to his chest and arms. When they bounced back up to his eyes, he said, "It's less about strength and more about maintaining momentum."</p><p>Something about the way Ben's eyes had lingered around Harry's body like that, sparked his impulse to say, "Show me now, then."</p><p>The request made Ben sink a few inches back in the water. His lips parted.</p><p>Harry waved his hand through the water around him and added, "If I do drop you, you'll safely fall into this water and not a stone ground."</p><p>The few seconds of his hesitation was worrying, but then he sucked in a breath and his face was beginning to flush again. He shook his head after another moment of consideration.</p><p>"This is going to be a disaster," Ben sighed with his flushed grin, then his feet found the rocks underneath them and he stood up. Harry did the same and they were then standing facing each other, with the water coming up to just above their waists. "I've never been lifted before so this will be a learning experience for both of us. But, uh— Okay, umm. I'll show you the easiest one I know. So stand here."</p><p>Harry felt himself unable to withhold his smile as Ben went back into dance-instructor mode. The giddiness began to creep in again as he lightly positioned Harry's body to the side of him. His mannerisms were direct, as they had been in the garden, but there was a new shyness to his movements. And there was a shyness in Harry as well. This time, there was a different meaning to the small gap of space they had between them.</p><p>There was a different meaning in the way Ben moved his body next to his. And a completely different sensation when his hand touched Harry's shoulder. It took everything not to shudder at it, and everything not to touch him back the way he desperately longed to.</p><p>"Okay, that last lift I did with Mal— that's what I'm going to show you. It's... pretty low risk. But I'm going to put my arm around your shoulder and hop up on your waist. And all you have to do is use the momentum to keep me lifted for a full spin-around. Does that make sense?"</p><p>"Uh— yes, sure," Harry squinted, picturing the lift of the dance Ben was referring to, "It seems pretty straight forward."</p><p>"So before I hop up, get low, keep your feet apart, and you're going to lift me mostly with your hip. And you're going to put your arm around my waist to hold me." Ben moved closer. Suddenly, Harry felt a surge of regret asking for this. He longed so badly to put his hands on Ben and pull his body into his. But now he was actually brushing against him. And Ben was asking him to put his hand around his waist. On his bare skin. It was a momentary privilege he didn't think he was prepared to received. And now he was nervous.</p><p>"Ready?" Ben asked with an uncertain, yet eager smile. Harry's nerves rolled out in laughter.</p><p>"Undoubtedly," He lied.</p><p>"Carry the momentum," Ben instructed, then he gestured for Harry to lower himself, which he did. Then he gestured for him to wrap his arm around him. With an awkward breath, he did. And then his arm was pressed against Ben's waist, and his hand was right on the lower part his stomach. His fingers resting on the elastic line of his boxers. Thank God they were in a lake, otherwise the sweat forming on Harry's body would be all the more noticeable.</p><p>His skin was so soft. Softer than he imagined when he'd pictured his hands on his body. He felt the lean muscles embellishing his stomach and he felt the warmth of his body. Weakness exploded throughout Harry. His hand begged to explore him further.</p><p>Ben's arm clasped around Harry's shoulder and Harry's body instantly fell rigid, as if the lake had solidified into cement. And he couldn't regain himself before Ben stepped in and leapt into Harry's side. All of the weight Harry had secured on one leg got thrown to the other, and then it was out from underneath him. And the two were sent tumbling straight into the water, which welcomed them with one large and loud splash that ruptured all around them. Their bodies tangled underwater in a struggle to twist themselves back to the surface.</p><p>Harry's feet found the smooth rocks alas, and with the help of his arms, he pushed himself upright, and he was standing again. After wiping the water from his eyes, he looked back up and Ben was regaining himself with a hand on his stomach, and body shaking with laughter. Harry couldn't even feel embarrassment at his complete failure to hold Ben up, because he was now facing his own fit of laughter as well.</p><p>"You said you wouldn't drop me!" Ben accused, and he pushed Harry back into the water. With more grace, Harry recovered quickly, still chuckling out his laughter.</p><p>"Aye, okay, I guess I wasn't ready," he admitted, before he repositioned himself as they had before, "I am now. I <em>swear</em> it."</p><p>"Jeez. Okay." Their laughter died down and Ben moved back beside him. Their body's close again and arms around the other. It was just as provocative as it had felt before, but this time, Harry made sure to keep full control of his body. "Let's try this again. Are you <em>ready</em>?"</p><p>"Yes, I got this."</p><p>Harry lowered himself and Ben took one step before he launched himself back into Harry's side. It was instinctive for his grasp around Ben's waist to grow tighter, and he supported Ben's weight with his hip just as he had instructed. Once the momentum was caught, the spin was easy and it didn't even feel like he was lifting Ben as he turned with it. It wasn't the most graceful spin, but he held Ben up the whole way, with Ben's legs dragging through the top of the water behind. Then, the momentum began to die and as Ben grew heavier, Harry lowered him back into the water. His feet were on the ground again and he was turning to look at Harry with a smile wide with praise and enthusiasm.</p><p>"Hey! That was good!"</p><p>Harry bowed at the applause and the two were laughing again.</p><p>They tried it again. The third attempt was better and the spin lasted a bit longer as Harry got the feel of carrying the momentum.</p><p>By the fourth and fifth attempt, they were able to add elegance. The comfort of their bodies pressed together, touching so intimately, flourished. There wasn't a single place on the planet that Harry wanted to be more than right here. With Ben. With no one else around but the crickets that sang a melody for their dance and the trees that swayed together as the rest of the orchestra. And rocks that glowed brilliantly below them, all around them, yet still only half as bright as Harry's heart felt as he and Ben moved together and laughed together. The bliss was sparkling atop the surface of the water, rippling around them. Through them.</p><p>"Let's try it to a dance now," Ben suggested and there was no hesitancy or shyness between them as they came together this time, holding each other in their proper waltz pose. Harry took a step forward, and to the side, and back again, leading Ben in their dance as perfectly as Harry's last dance lessons left off.</p><p>"Just spin me outward, and when I come back, we'll use the momentum for the lift."</p><p>Harry lifted his arm for Ben to twirl under, and then spin outward until their arms were extended between them.</p><p>"Don't you dare drop me," Ben warned with a dubious narrow of his eyes.</p><p>"I would <em>never</em>," Harry assured, then he pulled him back in and Ben spun into his body. Flawlessly, Ben leapt onto Harry's hip and Harry lifted him up with ease and grace. And he spun him around and it looked as though they'd done it perfectly a hundred times before. And they looked into each other's eyes.</p><p>That felt as though they had never done it perfectly until now.</p><p>Everything felt so weak. So perfectly weak.</p><p>His legs began to crumble. Just as the momentum faded away and he moved to set Ben back to the ground, their strength fumbled. The arm holding him slipped from around him at the awkward footing and Ben was sent into the water again. Harry steadied himself last second, which left Ben under the water alone. He couldn't help but laugh as he struggled back to the surface. He shook his head and shot accusatory eyes directly at Harry.</p><p>"Okay, you did that <em>intentionally</em>!"</p><p>Stomach fluttering with laughter, Harry put up his hands and said, "I swear I did not mean to do that." Then he stepped toward him and reached down to help Ben back to his feet. Ben had a drastically different idea and grabbed Harry by the arm he offered to yank his body into the water right beside him.</p><p>Another splash erupted and Harry could hear the bellows of laughter from above the surface. When his head was back above the water, and after he took in a shocked gasp of air, he could do nothing except join in as well. The bliss rippling through the water was now reverberating. The rocks below them glowing brighter. The stars above them glowing brighter. The life in Ben's eyes glowing brighter. Everything was brighter than anything Harry had ever seen or felt before.</p><p>They were both in pieces laughing, even as Ben reached for his hand to help him back up. Even when he was back on his feet and they were standing in front of each other, they laughed. Even as they both fell into the mutual magnetic field between them, leaning into one another, they laughed. Even as their noses came together and their hands reached for the other's face, Ben's palm on the side of Harry's cheek, and Harry's fingers sliding behind Ben's neck, they laughed. It wasn't until Harry felt the hot air of Ben's breath on his mouth that their laughs fell away. They fell away just one unwavering second before the sensation of their smiles was replaced by the sensation of one another's tender and desirous lips pressing together.</p><p>Everything Harry had ever known about himself melted with the warmth of Ben's lips. All of his sensibility melted and then evaporated into the air and his body was then refilled with every ounce of magic that flowed through the lake they stood in. The magic was pumping through him. Veiling over him. Wrapping around his body and Ben's. He was bound by the sweetest taste that ever touched his lips and he was suddenly aware of exactly what it was like to be helpless under a spell.</p><p>The magic was so powerful that he was falling back in time. Slipping through every moment of his existence and realizing that it hadn't been just weeks of yearning for this moment with Ben. It had been months. It had been years. It had been his entire life. Before he even knew of the boy across the sea that would one day completely enchant his heart like this. He had always yearned for this and he never even knew it.</p><p>The realization came like a spark within him and it ignited a single flame that danced between their hearts, right where their bare chests brushed together. The energy of their kiss flowed with the course of the flame. Their lips as light, as firm, and as hot.</p><p>The heat quickly burned away at the tethers of Harry's self-restraint. His mouth opened to draw Ben in further. He wanted him closer, as if the gift of finally kissing him wasn't enough. Ben moved with him, pressing deeper as Harry's lips coaxed him in.A soft, mindless gasp slipped from Ben's mouth and the fingers that cupped Harry's face curled in. Harry's mind was soaring and his own hands grew more desperate. They left the back of his neck and moved downward, sliding over the skin and muscles of his back to soak in more of him. They moved to his waste, around his lower back, to the dip in his spine. They pressed into his skin, pulling the front of their bodies together just as their lips were. And Harry could feel Ben's hips against his. Their stomachs together. This was so perfect.</p><p>This was—</p><p>Another gasp sounded from Ben's mouth and his lips tore away. And the hands on Harry's face were then pressing on his chest and forcing their bodies apart. It wasn't rough or hateful so much as it was a sudden shock. And it left Harry dazed until he blinked and saw Ben now two feet away from him with the lips he had just been kissing now parted in dismay.</p><p>The flame extinguished. All in an instant. And the magic in Harry's body was pumping back into the lake, leaving him growing emptier and emptier. Reality was quick to fill up the emptiness. The comprehension of what they had just done came shortly after. And then Harry was left just as still and as stunned as Ben was.</p><p>It was like being stuck in an abyss of uncertainty. Not knowing what to say. Desperate to read Ben's face for an idea but drawing completely blank because there was nothing there. So they were stuck there and Harry's heart began to beat faster and faster. What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do? Was he mad? Was he upset? Was he going to yell? Was he going to run away?</p><p>And now the fear was kicking in. The sick worry. The fall from the clouds, of course, as he feared, was going to lead to his utter doom. And Ben was going to leave now. And he was going to hate him.</p><p>"I—" Ben tried, and Harry was leaping for a hint of what he was going to say or do, "I—Uh..." The shock on Ben's face hadn't wavered, but his eyes finally broke from Harry's and he was looking downward. To the side. To the other side. Blinking profusely. Breathing heavily.</p><p>
  <em>Please say something. Please, please, please, please....</em>
</p><p>"Oh my God..." He managed, and he continued to try, "I'm... I—... That was—" He huffed and then his throat sputtered nervous laughter, "Wow, I— I can't believe that just happened."</p><p>Another sensation began creeping it's way into Harry. A sick, disturbing, and regretful sensation. He was embarrassed. And he was starting to hate himself for getting so carried away in his longing for Ben that he forgot why doing so was a terrible, terrible mistake. He was growing embarrassed and usually Harry was a master at curbing such a sensation. But not this time.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Harry's voice shook. It was the only thing he found himself able to say. He wasn't sorry. Not really. It wasn't an accident. But he would say it because the only thing he wanted more than to hold onto the euphoria of their kiss and embrace, was keeping Ben with him. He wanted Ben more than he wanted honesty and romance and physical touch. He didn't think he could cope if he were to lose him completely. Right here. Right after that.</p><p>"It's okay," Ben said, and then he offered a reluctant attempt at a half-grin. It was reassuring, but Harry was still hesitant. Harry's stomach was turning the same way Ben was unconsciously turning the engagement ring on his finger. His eyes were fixed in front of him, troubled and most likely in a deep struggle to process their action. He laughed nervously again and said, "It was um— a heat of the moment thing... I guess," His eyes darted to the side, "We were dancing and messing around, it was— it was just a..."</p><p>Harry could tell he was convincing himself more so than identifying any genuine explanation for what he had just done. It was starting to hurt. It hurt so badly because not only was Ben standing there in complete denial of what they shared, but because Harry knew that he had to be. As much as he wished for the kiss to have ended with them holding each other and sharing admissions of feelings, he knew that so long as Ben had a Kingdom and a fiancee to return to, that happy outcome was impossible.</p><p>Ben gave another nervous laugh. Harry could see Ben's breathing deepen. He could almost feel him shaking through the water. And Harry was so uncertain of what he wanted to say, so desperate to keep Ben from panicking and never speaking to him again, that he let his own nervous laugh roll out.</p><p>"Right," He said, and his attempt at a smile was just as futile as Ben's.</p><p>Ben took a step back, slipping slightly on one of the rocks. He sucked in a breath at Harry's response, but it had done little to compose the rising unsteadiness of his breath. His eyes traveled to their clothes, still on the ruins where they left them and Harry's heart sunk at the anticipation of what he was going to say.</p><p>"It's um— way later than I intended to stay out. We— we should probably get going. I have to get back before my 'break for fresh air' becomes suspicious," He gave light air quotes with his fingers along with yet another laugh as an attempt to alleviate the tension of the air. But the anxiety was quick to strengthen in his eyes and he looked like he was growing ill.</p><p>"Right," Harry repeated, as much as he didn't want to agree, "Of course."</p><p>Ben backed up further before turning to make for the bank of the lake. Harry stayed in place, feeling his heart squeeze tighter at every foot Ben put between them.</p><p>"Ben wait," he found himself saying, and Ben stopped just before exiting to turn back around. Harry had never seen him look so terrified, even through the dark of the night. Harry tried to mask the desperation on his face and in his voice when he said, "I—... I don't want what just happened to freak you out. And I don't want there to be anything weird because of it—"</p><p>"No no," Ben shook his head, but his eagerness to flee wasn't comforting, "No I'm not freaked out, don't worry about that. And obviously things won't be weird between us. We're friends, right? I mean, let's not overthink it."</p><p>He knew Ben had to leave. But he didn't want him to <em>leave</em> leave. He'd let him go and give him the space to process what happened and most likely come up with a dozen bullshit excuses for it. And Harry would let him. And he would be fine with it. Because at least that meant he got to keep Ben. And that was more than he really should be getting.</p><p>Oh God.</p><p>Harry remained in the water, watching Ben rush to put on his clothes over his wet body. He straightened his wrinkles out and straightened his hair as if it meant anything, before he turned back to Harry.</p><p>"Thank you for meeting me, Harry," He called, "I had a good time. I— I'll see you soon."</p><p>Harry tried to smile, but Ben was already turned around and disappearing back to where they came from. And Harry was left alone in the middle of the lake, unable to move. In his head, he was cursing at this stupid lake. This stupid, beautiful lake that gave him a moment more enchanting than he'd ever felt in his life. And as he stared at the rocks, all he could see were Ben's eyes and all he could do was tell himself over and over that this wasn't the last time he'd truly see them. It couldn't be.</p><p>Even if everything inside of him was shaking with the fear of reality.</p><p>Everything was going to be okay. He jumped from the clouds, but this isn't where he was going to let himself land. He hadn't landed yet.</p><p>As much as the thought intended to reassure him, it only made the fear double. Because the problem was, he was still falling.</p><p>And he was falling <em>hard</em>.</p>
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